Lineage
by youte
Summary: They never were sent to Earth to reign, but to save it. Now they are all living normal lives, happy and free of any ancient duty. Sadly, it's never that easy, and when a threat to one of them reappear, they learn that the past is never that far behind.
1. Whispers somewhere in the dark

**_**

**Lineage**

_**Whispers som**__**ewhere in the dark**_

"Sir?"

The man who was looking into a quiet city in China didn't turn. Even without a word or a gesture on his part, the other knew to stop his steps near the desk and to keep silent. His commanding aura was that strong, shining and impossibly warm. Impossible for mere humans, but not for heirs of a forgotten planet like them both.

He was a young man of 30, with shining blue eyes lost in the black sky. His short auburn hair, his body, thin and muscular, with his broad shoulders and perfect bearing, and his warm and soft voice made him irresistible for any female who crossed his path. Of course, attractiveness was a thing he had in common with almost all his peers, but few had his aura.

"Did you find her?" he asked calmly, even if he could guess the answer in the frustration that came from the other man.

"No, sir. But we may have a lead."

"Good, Axel. It's been too long. We can't wait years again. I'm getting sick of all these pathetic little humans."

"I know, sir. It's difficult enough to be in this human body. It's so weak."

"You should learn to respect it. You've been human since your birth and never knew anything else. We all are human."

"But it's not all we are."

"No. And we will be a lot more when she will join us, at last. She is strong and cunning, but she knows she can't fight destiny. She can't fight me."

"Her allegiance won't sway, it never did."

"What allegiance? She's free to choose now. And she doesn't have to bend her head before anybody anymore, because nobody has more legitimacy than her. Nobody."

"Aren't you worried about the heirs of the other bloodlines?"

"No," the man smiled beautifully. "Only our lineage has survived that long, the others are just lucky, they're only spiritual heirs, nothing less and nothing more. She can hide; the time will come when we will be reunite."

"Our kingdom will be reborn."

"And our princess will lead us."

"She will bring our new nation to us, more advanced and more peaceful than any of the Earthlings could ever dream."

"And all they will be able to do will be looking up at us with envy and adoration."

"But we won't accept any of our bloodlines to be soiled again by this weak form of life."

The man finally turned to the other, his Caucasian eyes looking into the Asiatic ones before him. He nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it, my friend. I'm looking forward to it."

_


	2. Five years after the end

**Lineage**

_**Five years after the end**_

Rei yawned and stretched. It had been a long year.

She had been doing social work for two years and her career was going fairly well, and she kept helping at the Hikawa Shrine every time she could. Sometimes the cases she worked on with the Social Services were hard but she really thought that she could make a difference for a few people.

Eating her dinner and then washing the dishes, she remembered that she had to call Makoto. The week-end was going to be fantastic, her friends and her would be together for the first time in a while (their various timetables at last permitted them to reunite). Mr and Mrs Chiba would be there, as well as the Furuhatas and Ami and Nephrite. Luna and Artemis would come too, of course. It was going to be a great day.

They had stayed great friends since their teenage years. Family, even. At the age of 26, Rei Hino knew that she wouldn't be half the woman she was without them. And what a group they were. Two aliens, a physician, a doctor, a schoolteacher, a writer and columnist, two owners of a flower shop and a Nursery, and a social worker.

And of course, as always these last five years, one member of their family would be absent. Her idol career had been going strong for 13 years and she still was the Japanese's favorite public figure despite her quasi absence of these last years. Even if Minako Aino had curbed her career five years ago, she hadn't totally broken her link to this world she loved so much: music. When she had declared wanting to slow down, her official website had put up a web portal that had intrigued a lot of people until a few weeks later, when a new song appeared on it with the possibility of free downloading it. The first song and almost all of the seven that had followed had been simple in their recording, with only a piano and/or a guitar to accompany her voice. She had herself recorded all of it.

The website had crashed a few times because of its success this first year. With her disappearance and all the rumors surrounding the mystery around her localization and her reasons to suddenly stop her career, her celebrity had never been so large around the world. Rei had thought that the Japanese couldn't love Minako more. They had seen her grow up and change before their eyes, they had been moved by her fight against sickness and by her music that had matured with her. And yet…

After the release of four songs on her website, more mature and deeper (more personal) than her last albums, Minako had released a new opus with these songs with a more elaborate background music, four of her old hits revisited and three all new ones. There hadn't been any publicity or promotional work, and despite that, the album had broken all records. Nobody had thought that the singer could beat the record she had set up with her fifth album when she had been 18.

Needless to say, it was her greatest work yet, a thing that had reinforced the fascination people had for the elusive idol. Minako had only reappeared for five concerts in Europe and Tokyo to raise money for a few associations, concerts that had been all sold out in a few hours. Her new songs had earned her new fans everywhere, older, and even if she had lost the younger ones, the mystery surrounding her had been over all the Web and had interested a lot of people through the world and brought them to her music. On her website she only posted a message a few times a year, saying that she was well, happy that her work was liked by so many people and that she was living a peaceful life working on her music.

Rei knew all this. Knew, partially, the reasons behind Minako's decision to leave the public eye. She was proud of Minako, in a sort of way. But she couldn't say that she agreed with her and her silence. Their break up, five years ago, was still fresh in her mind. They had been a couple for a little less than two years. It had been her decision, of course, but the faults had been equally shared. In spite of the hurt and the resentment, she still worried about Minako, and her heart missed her best friend. The rare phone calls weren't enough, and Rei was beginning to think that Minako would never come back.

Pushed by her need to hear Minako's soft voice, Rei dialed that phone number that only two or three people in the world knew.

A slightly muffled voice answered after three rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Rei answered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. It had been what? Eight months? "It's Rei."

"Reiko," Minako sighed, with that strange tone that whispered loneliness and distress to Rei's heart.

But it couldn't be true. Minako had chosen. She had chosen to leave and to isolate herself. The others didn't even have her phone number, they only had seen her once, two years ago, during Minako's concert, and they hadn't even talked to her. Artemis and Luna were the only ones that could go visit her wherever she was at the moment. Minako had, for a reason or another, moved a lot these last years, and Artemis had mentionned that Minako was currently staying in a house in the north of Japan, that she had been living there for a year already. Despite two invitations not clearly identified as such, Rei had never gone to see her in all these years. She had never found the strength to go, and maybe she kept too much anger in her still. Maybe she hadn't matured as much as she'd like to think.

"So, how are you?"

"Well, thanks," Rei answered. "I've a lot of work these days, I'm a bit tired, but I'm fine."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes. Even if I'd be glad to do without the authorities sometimes."

The soft laugh of Minako stung Rei's heart. Oh, she was well aware that she was still in love with her, that she would surely always love her. There were things, links and feelings, that you couldn't fight against. But love was not enough. In their case, it had never been enough.

"You've always been as respectful as mistrustful of authorities."

"And you, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Minako said lightly. She always answered with these words, but Rei thought that this time it seemed sincere. "It's very peaceful there."

"You aren't bored?"

"I've things to occupy myself."

"It's been months since you released your last song."

"Rei, I thought you didn't follow my career?" Minako teased, a smile in her voice, and for a second it was almost like old times.

"I have to find news somewhere."

It wasn't what Rei had wanted to say. It sounded harsh and bitter, and way too true. But it was too late to swallow her words back. She grimaced and waited.

"The least we can say is that you are honest," Minako stated calmly. She hid her feelings so well now that it was hard even for Rei to identify them only by her tone of voice. But she thought that she heard the telltale signs of hurt in the other woman's voice. She instantly felt bad. "I was sincere when I spoke with you five years ago. I needed to leave."

"I know. Please forgive me. I had a long day."

"I thought…"

"What?"

"No. Nothing. How are the others?"

"Usagi and Mamoru are happy about their new house. Ami works a lot on one of her projects these days, and Neph's second novel has just been published. It sells well, he's rather pleased."

"It's good."

"You've read it?" Rei asked, astonished.

"I'm reading it, yes. There's war, a love story, powers, it's not hard to see the influence of the Silver Millenium. I like it."

"I'll tell him. I'm sure he will be glad. You'd be surprised, he talks more now."

"Ah? And how are the Furuhatas?"

"They still have a lot of work, because of their success. They're really happy. Makoto's pregnant."

"Really?" Her surprise and her joy were transparent this time. "How many months?"

"Five. Artemis didn't tell you?"

"No. It's been a while since we last saw each other and we don't really talk about you all when we contact each other. Boy or girl?"

"They don't want to know before the birth."

"What? No, that's not fun! But you know the answer, don't you? You've seen it or felt it or whatever, didn't you?"

"Maybe, but it's not my place to tell you."

"You're no fun. I know Ami doesn't want a child for now, but Usagi?"

"They're considering it, now that they are in their new home."

"It's great."

"And how is Airi?"

"She's really well, thanks," Minako answered, and the tenderness seeping from her soft voice wasn't hidden behind a mask for once. "I just put her to bed. She has so much energy these days, it must be because of the sun. I think she's a little bored."

"You don't want to put her in a school yet?"

"I'm thinking about it. She's four now, and I think she needs to meet people. But," she sighed with self mockery, "I fear for her. Sometimes I think it's me who isn't ready."

"If you choose a good private school she'll be fine."

"I'm scared that if people and journalists learn about her she won't be left in peace anymore. The few neighbors here who have recognized me are highly respectful and quiet about our presence, I'm very lucky. But I know that when it will be known, and it will, we'll be harassed by everybody. Airi is so shy, you know. Well, I'm trully scared for her."

"It will surely affect her, but she'll learn and she will make friends."

"And what if she doesn't?" Minako asked anxiously. Rei looked curiously at her phone, as if it could help her. Minako had never shown any fear or hesitation during their few past discussions, even if Rei had sometimes felt her fright about her maternity. "What if the other children make fun of her, what if they annoy her, because of me or because they don't like her?"

Rei smiled, touched by this side of Minako that she didn't know.

"She has to learn, she has to meet people to grow up. There isn't any reason for her not to make friends. Besides, she's an adorable little girl."

"You've only seen her once, and she was two weeks old," Minako countered with a blank voice.

Rei wondered (not without surprise) if Minako was angry and hurt that she never had visited them.

"She was an adorable baby, quiet and with an excellent aura, bright and shining."

"Really?" Minako asked, suspicious.

"Auras don't change easily and never lie."

"Other children won't feel her aura. And they can be so cruel."

"You speak from experience," Rei said without thinking. Silence was her only answer. "I'm sorry. I only…"

"I know. It's okay," Minako reassured her. "I think I'm no longer used to your gifts. When I was a child, I was this little ball of energy and enthusiasm that spoke to everybody with a bright smile, joyful and curious, I wasn't scared of anything and I had confidence in myself and in everybody. It bothered people and drove away other children. Airi is very different, she's more the other side of the coin in fact. But…"

She sighed softly and Rei smiled as she remembered her first and only encounter with the little girl.

For all she knew, only Artemis, Luna and herself knew about Minako's maternity, but she was almost sure that Sugao Saitou and Amachachi Suyo, at least, knew about Airi too.

One night, months after Minako's departure for a secret location, Artemis had called Rei, excited like a child, to tell her that despite a few complications Minako had given birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl.

And then, a few days later, a morning, Rei had received a call and couldn't refuse the invitation even if at the time she had wanted to. So she had met her ex partner and Airi in a private clinic somewhere in England. It had been really strange to see Minako, who was always full of energy and could never stay still, this calm and completely fascinated with this tiny baby she had held so prudently in her arms. As for Airi, Rei had been astonished by her quietness. She had cried only once during the day. How such a quiet girl could have the same blood as Minako Aino was a complete mystery. Anyway, Rei had blessed the baby before leaving, and it had been the last time she had seen mother and child.

She remembered how exhausted Minako had seemed then. Rei had seen her tired during the two years they had shared before the birth of the little one. This destructive habit that Minako had of always pushing her limits beyond common sense had partly contributed to their break up. Rei could only hope that Minako had rested these last years and that she was in good health once more. But this day at the clinic... it had been different.

"Do you think of doing a new concert?" Rei asked after a few seconds.

"No, not right now."

"It's been a year. Don't you miss it?"

"I miss it," Minako confessed quietly. It was evident, Rei knew how much Minako loved performing. "But I have other things on my mind."

"I suppose that Shacho's still trying to make you come back."

"More than ever."

"And you don't want to?"

Silence. Rei tensed, astonished. She always asked Minako that question, with a light voice and knowing that Minako would always answer negatively. It was the first time she hesitated.

"Sometimes I… I'd love to see Tokyo once more and to stay there a little. But then I remember that everybody will try to contact me and I imagine the tempest that the eventual discovery of my daughter will provoke. You know, I never thought that leaving would have that effect on my celebrity. If I had known… It's my fault, I should have broken all links to my career, but I didn't have the strength. I should never have released this album and I shouldn't have released the new songs."

"It's what you do," Rei said, her voice tight because of sadness and a strange hope. "Who you are. Your decision to leave the public scene made the headlines of all the tabloids and of course, your disappearance didn't calm them. But you couldn't have guessed that your new album released so discreetly would be so loved and you only did these concerts for fund-raisings."

"I only want to protect Airi. I grew up before the cameras and the whole country. Even if I loved it, I know what pressure it puts on the shoulders of a child. Sometime I think it would be a good idea to go live in Europe definitely. There we could have a more normal life."

Rei felt her heart clenched. She knew that, lasting anger or not, she couldn't even consider losing her definitely.

"I don't think that running away is the solution."

"I have to think of what would be best for Airi."

"And you think that isolating her is the better choice?"

Minako didn't answer. She never had seemed so vulnerable, and it worried Rei. Every time she had spoken to her, she had always sounded happy and never had shown what her new life could be doing to her. And it had been a while since their last call, a while that Artemis had last seen her... And for Minako to show it so easily, she must be really upset about something. Loneliness, maybe?

"You could come here for a while. Incognito. You could see Amachachi and his family, and Usagi and the others. They miss you terribly. The girls often complain about your silence, you know. I'm sure that they would be ecstatic to meet Airi. It's been five years, Minako, and they are your friends."

"I don't think that it's a good idea," Minako said with a distant voice, her mask in place once more. Rei rolled her eyes. "I promised Airi that we would spend the summer here together and that we would do various things like going to the zoo."

An idea suddenly came to Rei. Although anxiety tightened her stomach at the thought of seeing Minako again, she couldn't say that she didn't want to, at least to see if she was well and happy. Nevertheless, she tried the impossible a last time.

"There are zoos here too. Maybe Airi would like to meet your friends, you know. You can't stay exiled like that."

"I'm fine here."

Rei sighed. She highly doubted that. Minako loved to be surrounded by people, she had discovered the importance of friendship and family with Rei and the girls. And loneliness and Venus didn't go well together.

"As you want."

"I have to go."

"Ok. Goodnight, then."

"Yes... Goodnight," Minako whispered strangely, before hanging up.

Taking a calming breath, Rei put the phone beside her and closed her eyes. She knew that what she was going to do could very well be the end of her friendship with Minako, but she was decided not to be a pawn of those mysterious and ridiculous rules that seemed to lead Minako's life. She knew that something wasn't right and she knew that it was part of what had broken their relationship, what had changed Minako and had pushed her to leave her life behind and to run away from the world.

It didn't matter what Minako wanted, and it didn't matter if Rei was still hurting. One thing stayed true despite it all, one thing was more important than all of that. Their souls were linked and an indestructible bond would always attach them to Makoto, Usagi and Ami. And if one of them was in danger or distressed, all of them had to act. They had to know how Minako really was.

They had bent to Minako's rules for far too long.

Rei couldn't stay in the dark about Minako's wellbeing. She would take the first step, and see where it would lead them. She had to call Artemis and make preparations.

Her friends and her would spend the week-end with the idol, whether she wanted it or not.


	3. Welcome to the family

A/N : Artemis and Luna are real cats in this fic.

* * *

**Lineage**

_**Welcome to the family**_

_**More or less five years ago**_

"_I do what I want, my career - "_

"_Is almost all that matters!"_

"_It's not true!" Minako screamed with anger, her gaze burning the other woman. "You matter too! But you knew how I was even before we became intimate! You know how important it is to me!"_

"_You have trouble standing on your feet and you want to go to Europe for three weeks, and you just came back from your tour! It's a real obsession!"_

"_I love what I do, I don't see how it's a crime! When you aren't studying you're at Hikawa, and I don't hold it against you!"_

"_I'm not really sure that it's a good thing for our relationship."_

"_I forbid you to doubt me," Minako retorted with an harsher tone. She always became colder when she was feeling vulnerable, when she wanted to hide her wounds. "I forbid you to imply that my love for my career is more important to me than what I feel for you. Not when it took me so much time to show you."_

_Rei had the decency to look away a little guiltily._

"_I know," she answered with a strangled voice. "And I also know that you can't offer all you are at once. I know that you have defenses, that you need to feel secure and to keep your secrets. You need your freedom. I know that, and I understand."_

"_But it hurts you that you, you could share yourself entirely with me, that you could open yourself to someone, and that I'm incapable of doing it," Minako said darkly. She crossed her arms against herself. "You knew it, Rei."_

"_It's not that," Rei partially lied, her tone harsher. "I'd like you to listen to me for once, I'd like… You can't keep going on like that."_

"_I'm fine."_

"_You've lost too much weight lately, you're exhausted, every performance, every interview tire you a little more. You can't lie to me on this, and you know it."_

"_Sometimes I hate your gifts. Listen, things are just a little hectic these days, -"_

"_It's been like that these last three years," Rei noted somberly. "And something has been wrong for months, every time I try to talk to you about it you change the subject and you shut down."_

"_I told you, it's nothing, I'm just a little distracted."_

"_You can't lie. Not anymore," Rei reminded her with the anger and the sadness she was feeling. The lack of trust and honesty of Minako was hurting her terribly. The idol couldn't look at her. Her fingers were playing with a weird little necklace, a simple amber that sparkled for a second, catching the last sunlight. Somewhere in her mind Rei noticed that she had never seen it before. "I don't know what's doing that in your aura, but I know that you won't be able to just ignore it for much longer. You won't tell me, fine, I suppose you can take care of yourself, but stop acting like a reckless kid and stop the damages."_

"_It's not-"_

"_Anyway it's not as if you wanted to share, is it? You've always taken you decisions alone, silently. And…"_

"_We have different interests and activities," Minako completed, bitter and resigned. "Different timetables. Different… ideas."_

"_Apparently, love isn't enough," Rei whispered with a little fright._

_Minako still could not look at her._

"_Apparently," she breathed._

"_We don't see each other that much now anyway."_

_The idol didn't answer. Her feelings were almost smothering her, she couldn't understand what was happening, didn't want to understand. She couldn't breathe. _

_Rei looked away from her distress. She felt it herself, this unbelievable pain, but knew that the decision had to be taken. They couldn't keep going like this, or they'd end up destroying each other completely._

"_Maybe we just need a little distance," she softly said, her voice hoarse and sobs battling inside of her chest._

"_Apparently, yes__."_

_After a last glance toward her__, eyes shining too much and yet far too dark, Minako nodded to her and left their flat, abandoning a piece of her heart and another of her soul behind._

* * *

"Are we here yet?"

Usagi's enthusiasm hadn't left her one bit during all their hours on the road. The driver, Mamoru, shook his head and smiled.

"We'll be there soon. Stay put, would you?"

His wife blew a raspberry at him before smiling. Rei, Nephrite and Makoto, behind them, all sighed. Since Rei had called them to tell them of her plans, Usagi had been excited like a little child going to Disneyland. Of course they all were enthusiast and happy about their trip, but they showed it far less than their friend.

Motoki wasn't able to come because he had promised his father that he would help him fix his rooftop. As for Ami, she had sadly been called on an emergency but had sworn to be on the road as soon as she could.

"It's already dark," Usagi noted with a pout. "We won't have much time to talk to her."

"We'll talk tomorrow and the day after," Makoto assured her with a smile.

"Oh no! We've waited for that for so long!"

Artemis looked up at Rei but she looked away. Both of them were feeling anxious. They knew how Minako would react to their visit. And Artemis knew it more than Rei, for that matter. They had taken a dangerous bet, but they never were happy with Minako's decisions, even if it was her life and her choice.

And of course, there was this little surprise that awaited the others…

"When will we be there?" asked Usagi again.

"Soon. Makoto, do you want me to stop?"

"No, thank you, I'm fine," the woman answered Mamoru with a smile. She looked at Nephrite behind her and laughed softly. "He's been sleeping for two hours."

"He must have been exhausted!" Rei smiled.

Makoto smirked.

"The goodbye with Ami must have been something."

"Because yours with your husband wasn't?" Usagi teased, making Rei and Mamoru laugh.

"I was just saying that Neph seemed really tired and –"

"Stop gossiping about my private life," grumbled the young man without moving or opening his eyes.

Mamoru smiled.

"You know women, Neph, we can't stop them from gossiping."

"Sometimes I think Motoki and you are worse."

"I agree," Rei said.

"Don't push me to leave you right here, Rei," the driver warned playfully.

His friend just shook her head.

* * *

The high wooden portal opened itself after Artemis told Mamoru the security code. They looked at the heavy security, and marveled at the lost propriety. The manor was located in the middle of the Japanese country, with woods surrounding it to its north, west and south, a line of trees and an old wall of rocks delimiting the park. The nearest city was situated at a twenty minutes drive. Mamoru went to park near the terrace in front of the European styled manor. Despite the dark, the beauty of the gardens was evident, with its flowers and the pool, its fountain and trees.

They exited the car, the soft summer air playing over their skin and making their arrival even more welcoming. A light was on near the front door, and they could see balls on the grass, a little cabin for children and swings a little farer.

"Well. It's a little isolated, but it's… big."

"What did you expect, Makoto? She couldn't very well stay all these years in far away hotel suites, it would have been too much cliché for a millionaire. You know, the weird and eccentric idol exiled and half mad."

"Thanks, Usagi," her friend replied with a glare. "Sometimes I think that it was better when you were a teen without a brain in your little head."

"Hey! I never was a teen without brain!" Usagi protested.

Rei shook her head.

"No wonder you're so good in your job, you're at the same level as the children."

"Rei," Usagi whined as her husband put their luggage on the ground. "You're so mean!"

"I would like to know what you are all doing here," said a soft and distant voice from the front door.

Immediately Usagi turned on her heels and threw herself at the other woman, almost making her fall.

"MINAKO! Finally! How are you? What are you doing? Why didn't you want us to come here? You should have come to Tokyo, it's really mean to have left like that! Five years, really! What –"

"Usa, you're suffocating her," Mamoru informed warmly while separating his wife and the tensed idol. "I'm glad to see you," he said to her with a beautiful smile.

Minako, who was slowly letting her shock pass (she wasn't used to Usagi anymore, nor was she of physical contact with others), nodded distractingly.

"What are you doing here?"

Her reaction made them all a little ill at ease, but Usagi's enthusiasm wouldn't fall down that easily.

"Well, we decided that as you wouldn't come see us – which is _totally_ unfair and mean and sad! – we had to surprise you so you wouldn't run away. So, we're here!"

Minako glared at Rei, Luna and Artemis. All three of them stayed silent, anxious. Finally it was Makoto who cleared her throat.

"It would be nice of you not to throw us out of your propriety right now, because hitting the road again after all these hours in the car would not be really fun for me."

Minako's eyes shined with realization and she seemed to let go of her indifference. She still didn't seem happy to see them here, but she took a step back and invited Makoto to enter with a flick of her hand, throwing a guilty look at the woman's stomach.

"I'm sorry, please go inside, of course you can stay tonight."

Makoto lightly hugged her with a smile and they greeted each other. Minako seemed a little awkward in her arms before taking a step back.

"Congratulations. For the baby," she whispered.

"Thanks," Makoto replied warmly before making her way inside.

Nephrite nodded politely when he passed before her, and Mamoru and Usagi greeted her once more a little nervously while they followed their friend.

"Hey," Rei greeted quietly, doing her best to seem distant.

Minako had black pants on with a yellow top. Rei had rarely seen her in pants outside of special occasions like quiet Sundays or gym. Her hair were stroking her shoulders and were slightly curled, her eyes seemed older, her skin tanner, and she had put some weight on in four years. She looked well, healthy. And stunning.

But she knew that even she couldn't see through the surface with Minako.

Rei put a long lock of her hair behind her shoulder and opened her mouth to say something but Minako took the lead, her eyes on Rei shining with anger.

"What the hell were you thinking? Why the hell have you brought them here? Why are you here?"

"I thought that you needed the company," Rei explained, defending herself with as much anger as Minako, not understanding her reaction. "After years, I'd thought that you would be glad to see them."

"It has nothing to do with this!"

"Why are you reacting like that?"

"Nobody knows that I'm here!"

"You really think that the paparazzi would still be keeping an eye on us after five years and would follow us here?" Rei replied with a roll of her eyes. "Damn, you're paranoid. And you overestimate your importance."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Minako countered coldly, and Rei was stupefied to see rage and fear in her eyes.

"All is fine, Mina," Artemis reassured her with a warm voice. He exchanged a long look with his protégée, and their silent discussion stayed a total mystery to Rei. "They'll stay only for a few days. I'm sorry to have done that without your permission, but I thought it necessary."

"You should stop thinking then," Minako said sharply, despite having let go of a part of her anger, or maybe having just hidden it behind one of her masks.

"I'm happy to see you, you know."

Minako finally let a little smile almost shy touch her face, and she took him in her arms and scratched him beneath the shin.

"You're getting old," she teased him with a soft tone that none of her other guests had the luck to hear. "You have more and more white hair."

"I've white fur," he grumbled, but his green eyes were shining. "You, you have a little wrinkle right here, you should be more careful."

"You're going to sleep in the gardens, furball," she warned him before putting him on the floor with a last stroke.

"I don't think so, you wouldn't throw Luna out and she can't sleep without me."

His partner threw him an incredulous look.

"Really, stop dreaming!"

Minako giggled.

"I know someone who's going to sleep alone for a while. Hi, Luna."

"Glad to see you."

They went inside and Minako and Rei were left alone. The tension was still there, but it had lessened. Rei thought that as she was the one having decided that little surprise, she had to let go of her pride a little.

"And you accused me of being in the middle of nowhere when I was in the Shrine in Kyoto? This place could serve as décor for a horror movie."

"But I'm in the middle of nowhere with style, at least."

Rei raised an eyebrow and looked up at the manor.

"Isn't it a little big? How many dormitories are inside of this?"

"Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, a music studio, two studies, a kitchen, a library, a garage. I think I have an attic but I only use half of the rooms anyway and most of them were already furnished before I moved in. We should go inside."

Rei nodded before she softly grabbed Minako's wrist to keep her there for a few more seconds.

"I'm happy to see you," she whispered softly, trying to lessen the impact their physical contact had on her.

Minako didn't look at her but her answer seemed sincere enough.

"I am too."

Once inside Minako saw the white cat discreetly sneaking up the stairs. She quickly went to him and did her best to raise her voice without actually screaming.

"Artemis, you come back here immediately!"

"But I'll only glance at -"

Minako took him in her arms and went to put him beside Luna on the couch. Luna threw a warning glance at her partner who sighed pitifully. Rei thought that he surely missed Airi terribly, it was hard for him not to go see Minako's daughter immediately.

Once Minako had showed them their rooms and they had finished unpacking, they went to the large living room and Minako gave them drinks and sandwiches, trying to answer Usagi's enthusiastic questions.

Minako didn't look really at ease and failed to hide it from them, which was extraordinary for her. Maybe she was not used to control her expressions anymore, because of her rather recluse life. Her answers were noncommittal and shorts, and all of them quickly abandoned the hope to learn more about her personal life of these last years.

All they knew was that Minako never really interacted with her friends or colleagues besides the time when she had prepared her last album and the concerts. The first three years she had lived in different locations in Europe, visiting and living a quiet life. She now shared her time between the little city near the propriety and the manor, and seemed to lead an existence in total contrast to the one she had been living as an idol.

Once all the others had shared the last news on their life, they decided to go wash the dishes in the kitchen while Minako locked the doors. Rei, while she stood up to follow the others, glanced at the few framed pictures on the mantelpiece that nobody had noticed, being happy to see their friend again and exhausted because of their travel. Pictures of Airi at various ages, five of them. Rei looked at them, her heart clenching with emotions as she discovered that little girl. The schism between Minako and Rei had been caused little by little by a lot of unsaid things and feelings, and the baby had surely been the last of those things that had driven them apart.

The little one seemed in good health, and very happy. She had her mother's charisma but she didn't seem as confident as her. She also had Minako's shining hazel eyes, and her beautiful smile.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Rei went to the kitchen to see that Mamoru had stopped washing the dishes to look curiously at a few drawings hung on the fridge. All of them were highly colored, but some of them were kind of strange, like that weird picture of a little orange creature pointing at a green sky with two big moons, one blue and the other red.

"Have you seen these pictures?" he asked the others.

Makoto glanced at them.

"Fans, maybe? Or they may be from the hospital kids that Minako helps."

"They're all dated of these last years and they all seem to be from the same child," Usagi noted pensively.

"There are toys outside," Nephrite added quietly, "and in the living room."

Rei avoided all their eyes when they turned to her, bewildered and intrigued, having all reach the same conclusion.

At first nobody noticed that they weren't alone anymore. And then Mamoru tensed, alerting Makoto beside him, and all adults turned toward the kitchen's doorway.

The child, still half asleep, was wearing white Sailor V pajamas. A soft plush cat with a heavily chewed right ear (a copy of Artemis) was held tightly against her heart. Her softly curly black hair reached her chin, her face was round for she had easily two or three kilos above the average, she was small and her hazel eyes were maybe a little too large for her head. And she was watching the strangers, confused, curious and terrified all at once, with evident shyness and distrust. All in all, she was absolutely adorable.

The sound of someone approaching was heard and the girl turned her head toward it, before quickly running toward the stairs and climbing it much more slowly. She disappeared in seconds, just when Minako appeared in her stead.

She found them in the same state of incredulity and shock and looked at them strangely.

"What's the matter?"

"Err…" Makoto began awkwardly.

But Minako clearly didn't need more to understand, and she turned toward the living room, the stairs and the mezzanine and shook her head.

"You must stay in your bed after bedtime, you know that!" she cried without anger.

A few seconds later, as if she had mentally weighed her options, a little voice answered her.

"I was sleeping. You have to stop waking me up like that, mommy! How can I sleep, when you do all that noise?"

"You weren't asleep. You just came down."

"Do you have any proof?"

Airi had a cute manner of speaking, Rei noted. She articulated too much some words while still talking at a normal pace.

Rei suddenly had trouble controlling her emotions after hearing this little child call Minako mommy. She hadn't expected to be this moved by it. Thinking about Minako and her daughter had been one of these things she had decided to avoid these last years.

Minako just sighed and rolled her eyes, and her friends woke up from their stunned state of mind.

"What?" Artemis asked upon arriving with Luna. "What is it? Why the strange faces?" His green eyes suddenly shined with understanding. "She's awake? Then I can go see her now, can't I?"

Chagrined, Minako nodded and her ex guardian didn't need anymore incentive. It didn't take long for him to join Airi and they could all hear her little pleased cry.

"Uncle Atis!"

Luna went to join them with eagerness.

"A…Atis?" Mamoru asked.

Minako nodded.

"When she was younger, she couldn't say Artemis properly, so she called him Atis, and she still do."

"Mi…Minako, you… err…"

For once, Usagi couldn't find what to say, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. Makoto had not her problem.

"You had a child and you didn't tell us?" she exclaimed with anger and incredulity.

"The situation was complicated," Minako answered with a calm voice, her face never betraying her emotions, but the way she kept avoiding her eyes was enough.

"Complicated? You had a baby, and you didn't think that your friends would want to know?"

"Makoto, maybe you should take it easy," Usagi advised quietly. "And sit down?"

"I'm fine. I'm not made of sugar," she snapped. Then she turned her head toward Rei and not so lightly hit her arm. "You knew about that! And don't lie!"

"Ow!"

"I asked Rei, Artemis and Luna to keep that secret. Few people know about my daughter."

Nephrite crossed his arms.

"I'll have something to say to Ami after all."

Minako glared at him before addressing them all again.

"I made a choice and you don't have to understand."

"Like it was possible to under – hey!"

Usagi nudged her again and Makoto went quiet with a glare. Mrs Chiba then looked at Minako with large eyes impossible to read.

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes," Minako answered, more nervous under Usagi's gaze than Makoto's dark glances.

Rei asked herself if it was only because somewhere inside of her Minako was still seeing Usagi as her princess, her commander. She always had had trouble accepting the fact that this life was far behind them, millenniums behind them. Rei had hoped it had changed, and she was perturbed to see that maybe it never did.

Suddenly, as they should have expected, Usagi threw herself at Minako and embraced her with happiness, emitting a little piercing cry that reminded them all of their teenage years.

"You're a mommy! It's great! I'm an auntie! Mako's baby will have a cousin to play with! What is her name? How old is she? What does she like to eat? What color does she like? When is her birthday? Does she hmph –"

Rei didn't pay attention to the glare Usagi threw her because she had so rudely interrupted her with a hand on her mouth. She took a step back from Minako, taking Usagi with her, and swallowed back her amusement when she saw that the idol was blushing while trying to regain her dignity.

"Let her breath, Usa, you're frightening her."

Usagi threw a worried glance at Minako who glared at Rei.

"She is not frightening me!"

"So, are we going to know more about our niece, yes or no?" Makoto asked, a smile now on her face.

Minako nodded with a little smile and they all went back to the living room.

"Her name is Airi," she began, smiling at Usagi's little delighted squeak. "She's born on June 27th. She's four. She loves chocolate – a little too much, and she loves luminous colors and adores animals."

"I want to see pictures and I want to meet her!"

"Tomorrow," Mamoru intervened with a smile. "It's late. Congratulations, Minako, she's a beautiful little girl."

Minako lowered her eyes and her smile became surprisingly shy and delighted.

"Thanks."

Rei realized that, Airi's existence being such a secret, compliments from people close to her must have been almost inexistent. Anyway it was wonderful to see so much love and pride in Minako.

A few minutes later, as she tried to fall asleep in the bedroom she would share with Makoto, Rei wondered if it had been a good idea to come here. Too many emotions were raging inside of her, and she couldn't determine if it was tearing her up inside or making her stronger.

For all she knew Minako didn't live alone, Airi's father had come back in the picture or the idol was already planning to move to Europe. Too many things were unknown and her gifts weren't helping her. This place was strange, she was getting a weird vibe from the propriety and she was sure that it was interfering with her sixth sense.

Just before she fell asleep a thought appeared on her mind with utmost clarity.

Something was coming, and it wasn't friendly.

* * *

Somewhere in Tokyo, Ami Mizuno was still working in her living room. Nephrite wasn't there to tell her to go to sleep and she had therefore forgotten that night meant little hours to rest.

It didn't matter anyway, because this personal project was of the greatest importance. She once again analyzed the blood and took a few notes. What she saw made her frown.

"There still isn't anything new," the woman whispered. "It's really not in the blood."

She thought back on her conversations with Luna and Artemis about this mystery. The two ancient advisors had been so sure of themselves though… They had said that the change would be noticeable in the cells. How could they be so wrong about something that important? It had never been a problem during the Silver Millenium of course, so they could be more in the dark about his phenomenon than they had thought, but still, they had been informed about that matter when they had awaken on Earth.

Sighing, she realized that it had been too long since she had check on her subject. But she didn't want to bother Makoto during her little vacation. Motoki would surely be able to answer a few questions about his wife though. As she reached for her phone, she suddenly realized what time it was and shook her head derisively.

Well, she would see her friend tomorrow, maybe they could have lunch together since all of the others had left. She went to her bedroom and sighed, her painful muscles reminding her of the very late hour.

She terribly missed Nephrite already, and the bed seemed awfully empty without his presence.

She never noticed nor she felt that she was being watched from afar.


	4. The pieces are moving

**Lineage**

_**The pieces are moving**_

_**More or less five years ago. Tokyo. Japan.**_

"_I see __that you have already taken all of your things," Rei noted, careful to keep her tone neutral._

_Minako, standing to the other side of what had once been their living room, nodded. She seemed tense, strangely pale. It had been a month now, and Rei found herself in pieces. She could only hope that it would all work out in the end._

"_I just came back from England, in fact."_

"_Ah."_

"_I wanted to give back the keys to you. I don't care about the flat, you can stay here."_

"_Okay."_

_Rei had expected it. Minako didn't attach herself to anything. When she bought something new like clothes or jewelry, she always gave or threw something old, as if she wanted to be sure that her belongings would always need only a few boxes in case she had to move quickly. It was a weird habit that Rei had attributed to Minako's unusual way of life since she was a kid. _

_She had always had the secret hope that with her Minako would learn the importance of home, but she guessed that she had never really succeeded._

"_Well, I - I'll be leaving then."_

_Minako walked toward the door, brushing against Rei and prompting her to act. Not being ready to see her definitively leave her life yet, she gently took hold of the idol's wrist._

"_Wait. I…"_

_Her voice trailed off when she felt that weird warning coming from her sixth sense. It took her a few long seconds to identify it, and it literally took her breath away, pain and disbelief invading her heart._

_Minako's eyes widened and she quickly took a step back. Her gaze had been full of fear, confusion, vulnerability and anguish even before Rei had touched her, but the other woman was too immersed in her own terrible feelings to notice it._

"_I see it didn't take you long," Rei bitterly noted._

_Minako just held her wrist silently, as if Rei's touch had burned her. Her somber and exhausted eyes didn't try to hold Rei's accusing stare._

"_You could have at least waited a little before throwing yourself to –"_

"_I wasn't aware that there were rules in that situation," Minako quietly replied. "It isn't what you're thinking, besides."_

"_It isn't?" Rei snapped, hurt, sad, angry. "You're pregnant! It doesn't really happen like that!"_

"_It doesn't matter. I won't keep it."_

_The words, flat and soft, stung Rei's heart and she forced herself to restrain her tears. She wouldn't cry before this woman she had loved – still loved, this woman that had jumped into bed with a man just after they had put a term to their relationship which had been going on for two years. _

_Did all this mean nothing to Minako at all?_

"_And there I was, convinced that you were a sensible girl," Rei found herself murmuring with sarcasm. "Never heard of contraception?"_

_Minako glared at her and Rei saw the pain she was causing in her dark eyes, but she couldn't force herself to care more than that._

"_I never needed it before, remember? And of course, I used contraception. As for my private life, it doesn't concern you anymore and you have no right to judge me."_

"_Of course not," Rei replied bitterly._

"_You were the one to decide that we need__ed distance, Rei. That's what I'm trying to accomplish. __We're both single, remember? __Goodbye."_

* * *

_**Four years ago. England.**_

_She was terrified. She had been terrified for months, getting too little sleep, her health only stagnating __when she had chosen to stop all her activities._

_Terrified. Lost. And alone._

_She had never wanted to be a mother. She wasn't even capable of taking care of herself, she couldn't protect and raise a baby! She didn't even know a thing about children!_

_And there she was, with this tiny baby sleeping in her crib in front of her, and it was midnight, and she wasn't sleeping._

_She was _panicking_._

_She wanted to go back to her life, to her hectic career, she wanted to work, to sing, to perform, to act. She wanted to be around friends and colleagues, to be around people._

_She wanted to feel happy, secured, strong, well. She wanted to know where she was going and how. _

_She wanted to know why she was such a pathetic form of life, incapable of doing a thing correctly, incapable of living that life that every human seemed to find natural._

_She was alone, she had a two weeks old baby – an adorable and healthy daughter that she had to protect, and she was terrified and utterly exhausted._

_Rei had been there just a few short hours ago. She had even held Airi a little. They hadn't seen each other since their last dispute, but Rei hadn't seemed as disgusted by her as she had been the last time. Her presence had been strangely soothing. Strangely warm, after months of existing only in the middle of cold and lonely emotions. _

_Minako had realized there and then that Rei was the only one who could maybe help her, save her from this situation that only got more and more complicated with time. If only Rei had stayed with her, and with her baby, all might have worked out in the end. They could have faced all this together, and Minako wouldn't have felt so isolated and scared._

_Rei had seen it in her eyes, the need, the plea. But she had chosen to ignore it, and Minako had let her leave._

_She had let her leave._

_Rei had her life, and the idol understood with all her heart and despite her feelings. She understood why Rei hadn't stayed and surely didn't want to deal with Minako's child. _

_She understood. But it hurt nevertheless. _

_But it was okay. Minako had her life, and her baby._

_And she knew that she wouldn't see the other woman again for a long time, if ever._

_Minako had decided to have this baby and she would never run away from her responsibility. In this world where the idol had lost everything she was and everything she had, Airi was her last hope and whole family._

_The only piece that was linking her to this world and to life._

_Minako was terrified, but she had survived a lot of things and she was going to find the strength to once again let go of her fears and rise proudly._

_She smiled, watching her angelic baby sleep, and for the first time in months, she felt somewhat peaceful._

"_I'm going to do all I can and more to give you a beautiful life, Airi. You'll see."_

* * *

It was still early when Mamoru opened his eyes. Without waking Usagi up, the young man dressed up and decided to go downstairs. He was surprised to see Airi quietly eating her breakfast in the living room. She was sitting on the carpet between one of the couches and the coffee table and was watching a documentary on forest life with a very serious expression on her face.

She was still wearing her Sailor V pajamas, the smiling cartoon version of the hero her mother had been was doing the V sign. Frowning, Airi seemed totally immersed in the documentary. When she heard him coming, she raised her head and studied him with her nervous and cautious gaze for a few seconds, before quickly looking back at the TV.

He smiled and stopped near her, careful to let enough space between them.

"Hi."

The child didn't answer him.

"I'm Mamoru. A friend of your mother."

Silence. He felt awkward, he didn't know how to react to the nervous and tense energy evident in the girl and her lack of answer. The last thing he wanted was to scare her. He had decided to give up when suddenly Airi turned her head toward him, her gaze set on his own as she was studying him. She then tilted her head on the side and nodded.

"It's going to be a beautiful day," she said quietly, shyly.

Mamoru glanced outside. The sun was shining.

"Yes. That's right."

"That's good," she noted, reddening under his gaze and turning her attention back on the TV once more.

With an amused smile, Mamoru slowly walked toward the kitchen. A warm feeling in his heart, he thought about his wife and about their dream to have a child. He was looking forward to the day where he would meet his first baby, and he wondered what kind of father he would be.

Soft voices were coming from inside of the kitchen, and his feet stopped as if they had a mind of their own… or at least it was what Mamoru would say if he needed to defend himself.

"And what if it happens?" Minako's voice was saying, her tone rather anxious and harsh. "I can't risk it."

"Nobody knows we're here," Artemis answered back. "Nobody. Luna and I aren't amateurs, Minako. Airi needs to live a normal life."

"Airi needs security, she needs to live far from all this. And believe me I will take her as far away as humanly possible as soon as I can."

"You can't go on like this, for the love of Mau! You can't run away from everything and live alone, you need to live your life, to be with your friends, to enjoy yourself, to laugh and to be with people!"

"My life consists in giving my baby the most beautiful childhood I can under these circumstances. A childhood without problem, without violence, without duty, and with her mother with her every step of the way. She won't be like me."

"You can't –"

"You have no authority upon me, Artemis. I don't have to obey anyone. I'm not 13 anymore. You should never have come."

"If only you would explain the entire story to us –"

"There isn't a story to tell."

"When did you become this…"

"Coward? Since my life isn't the only one I'm responsible for," Minako answered darkly. "I'll leave, my decision is taken."

"Well, for now, you should enjoy their company," Luna said, resigned. "I know you don't want them to know, so we won't tell the part we have knowledge of, however incomplete it may be. But you know, they missed you."

To that, Minako didn't reply. Mamoru, suddenly feeling guilty, made his presence known in entering the kitchen.

"Hello."

They greeted him as if there never had been a mysterious and secret meeting between the three of them. With a little smile, Minako offered him coffee. Soon all the others, except Usagi who had never lost her love for late morning, came in and sat down at the round kitchen table to eat breakfast, chatting and laughing quietly.

That was when Airi entered the room, pattering toward Minako while throwing a shy look at the others. She stopped near her mother who was standing against the sink, a cup of coffee in her hand. The young woman looked down at her child and smiled, encouraging her to talk despite the presence of the strangers.

"What day is today?" Airi asked finally with a soft voice betraying her seriousness and annoyance.

"Tuesday."

"Not Wednesday?"

"No. Tuesday."

"Can't it be Wednesday today?"

"No," Minako smiled. "It's Tuesday and it'll be Tuesday until Midnight tonight."

"But we could decide that today is Wednesday here."

"We could. But it won't change the fact that today is Tuesday for the rest of the world."

"Even for the TV?"

"Even for the TV. Why do you want today to be Wednesday?"

"Because Wednesday means good programs on TV! Today there isn't anything I like anymore."

"You could watch cartoons."

"I don't feel like it."

"Then watch one of your DVDs."

Airi crossed her arms, as if an idea had suddenly struck her when it was obvious she had wanted to reach that point since the beginning. She frowned, certainly trying to look like a grown up.

"We could go this morning instead of this afternoon, then I won't feel bored anymore, you know. I'm sure he misses us."

The change of subject didn't seem to surprise nor did it unsettle Minako.

"We have an appointment early this afternoon, Ai. We can't change it, it wouldn't be nice."

"And what if he isn't better?"

Minako bent down to be at her daughter's level and smiled with warmth.

"He's well."

"Are you sure?" the little girl asked, suspicious.

"Yes."

It seemed to convince Airi immediately. She smiled brightly, and it was obvious to all that her mother's words were worth all the world's truths and more.

"When are we leaving?" she asked happily.

Minako straightened up.

"Soon after lunch."

"Can I go play outside if I get dress now?"

"Of course, but first I have to introduce you. Look, this is Mamoru Chiba, Nephrite Suwa, Makoto Kino and Rei Hino. Would you say hi to them? Don't be afraid."

Snuggled against her mother's leg, the child greeted them quietly.

"Hello."

"Introduce yourself," Minako reminded her gently.

"My name is Airi Aino," her daughter said with a shy seriousness. "It's nice to see you."

"To meet you," her mother corrected. But when Airi looked up at her disapprovingly (looking like a tiny Minako in doing so), the woman raised both of her hands with a smile, half sheepish, half amused. "It's the same, you're right, sorry."

Keeping her serious air, Airi gazed worryingly at the adults around the table, and all smiled at her.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Airi," Makoto said warmly.

"Well, Airi, I didn't know you could be this timid," Artemis teased the girl.

The little girl got closer to her mother, who put an arm around her to sooth her, and mother and child glared at the white cat.

"You are mean, uncle Atis. Temis is a lot nicer."

"It's exactly what I'm thinking," Minako agreed while taking her daughter in her arms. "Now we're going to wash up and get dress while uncle Atis see to our guests' needs."

* * *

"So, that's Temis?" Mamoru asked as he helped Minako putting the toys into the toy box outside and watched Airi play near the swings, her plush cat in her arms.

The idol nodded.

"Amachachi gave it to her a week after her birth, when Sugao and him went to see me," she explained softly, her eyes on her daughter who was currently talking to Temis – or with any imaginary element of her games.

The other guests were enjoying the sun and the gardens. Nephrite was reading and Makoto was skimming through a magazine, both on deckchairs near the terrace. Rei, Usagi and Luna, around the wood table near the pool, seemed immersed in an animated discussion. As for Artemis, he was surely taking a nap inside.

Mamoru glanced at her "niece". She was crouching before a flowers copse and stayed like that without moving for a while. He found this puzzling and wondered what could have caught her attention like that. Maybe worms or a mole, knowing her love for animals.

"What did Artemis think about Temis?" he asked as they were walking toward the others.

Minako smiled.

"He didn't like it, especially when she developed a love for using it as a pillow and sucking the toy's ear. But when he realized that she adores Temis and had chosen it as her favorite and later began to drag it everywhere, he was swelling with pride. You should have seen him when he learnt that she had named the toy after him."

Mamoru followed Minako's gaze and saw Airi jump to her feet and walk calmly toward the swing where she had left Temis, talking all the way.

"Who is she talking to?"

With an amused smile and a strange gleam in her eyes, Minako shook her head.

"She's playing, and she has an impressive imagination."

"Well," Usagi said happily, having heard the last of their conversation, "with this plush Artemis in her arms, she looks just like you."

"Yes, that's true," Mamoru noted as he sat down beside his wife, "a Mini Mina."

The mother just shook her head, avoiding their eyes, and sat down with a little smile. She could feel Rei's eyes on her, and she tensed. A strange sensation invaded her mind and heart, it was warm, soothing and painful. Minako just couldn't let herself wish, let herself hope.

Rei had crushed her soul too many times before.

It had never been what the other woman had wanted of course, but it had hurt all the same. Promises betrayed, cold times and too many reproachful gazes covered their past relationship. Minako didn't trust easily, and she should surely have been more honest with her partner, but after what they had been through she at least could have left her more time. With time, she could have found the strength to tell her…

No. It wasn't true. There were too many things, too many untold words between them. And Minako had been and always was in some ways that scared little girl who had seen in one night her whole world topple.

She was linked to Rei, by love and by their Senshi nature. She was linked to them all, but she was also alone. And even if she was used to it, even if it was her responsibilities that pushed her to stay away from the world, she couldn't say that it wasn't killing her inside, slowly, a little more every day. It was destroying her to deny herself contact with people, with her friends, to deny herself the pleasure of performing.

But she would do it again and again, if it meant protecting all that she loved, if it meant that her baby girl would have a normal and safe life.

The past be damned, she would protect her future.

"God, this propriety is wonderful," sighed Makoto as she arrived near them.

"Thanks," Minako quietly said, shaking herself from her thoughts. "It stayed empty for years though."

"Really? Why that?"

"I suppose it's because it's too isolated. In winter, it's rather gloomy, but we like it."

"Rei, you're making a strange face. What's the deal?"

"Huh? Nothing, Usa."

"You were doing that face."

"What face?"

"You know, that face you do when you feel that something is going to go wrong, like when Keiko…" Usagi's voice trailed off, her eyes widened. "Sorry."

Rei smiled gently and shook her head, showing her that whatever had almost said her friend hadn't hurt her.

"It's nothing, I was just lost in my thoughts. Work, you know."

"Another child?" Makoto asked.

"No, nothing like that."

Minako looked at them, feeling so out of the discussion that it was almost vexing. A mixture of envy, jealously, curiosity and worry made its way into her heart but she crushed it and threw it all away in seconds. These last years, she had learnt two things.

One, not feeling a thing was surprisingly easy when you didn't have gifts and when you had a baby occupying you.

Two, no matter how hard people tried to convince you that it was impossible, you could live without anyone in your life and if you couldn't forget the past, you could very well ignore it.

But in the last minutes, she had learnt two new and unwelcome things:

One, feelings were horrible little sneaky traitors that didn't await you to make their way inside of your soul.

Two, ignoring the past worked only when the past wasn't sitting with you chatting about things you didn't know about but that you strongly wanted to know about.

And who the hell was this Keiko woman anyway?

God, they had to leave, and soon.

Suddenly, Minako, despite not having any of her natural gifts anymore, tensed and instinctively looked for Airi. She jumped to her feet when she saw her near the trees, were the wall of rocks had fallen decades ago and had never been rebuilt to hide once more the dark woods behind it. Airi was looking into the forest, unmoving, and Minako felt her blood ran cold in her veins and barely noted that Rei was also standing and looking worried.

"Airi!" Minako called while quickly walking toward her child. "Airi, come back here, sweetie! Ai!"

Finally, as if she was shaking herself from a trance, the little girl turned to look at her, blinked, and then glanced at the woods with fright. She looked back at her mother guiltily and ran toward her, a little pale. Minako took her by the shoulders and frowned.

"I'm not happy with you, Airi Chiyoko Aino. You know that going near the woods is forbidden."

"I know. Sorry. I was just playing."

Seeing that her daughter was feeling bad and a little shaken, Minako hugged her and carried her toward the table.

"It's okay, honey. It's okay," she whispered, feeling the cold skin of the child already warming up.

"Is she alright?" Mamoru asked with a worried glance to the girl.

Minako smiled.

"Of course. Why wouldn't she be?"

Nobody answered her, but Minako noted Makoto's eyes darting toward Rei. The woman was gazing at Minako and Airi with somber eyes, her body still tense, and Minako knew then that things hadn't changed. Rei still had her sixth sense, and the others could still recognize her attitude when she was feeling something dangerous.

And Rei's eyes were on Minako, and they were suspicious and full of uneasiness.

And they stayed on her until Minako disappeared inside, her fingers playing with her necklace, the amber pendant rolling between her fingers.

* * *

"Any news, Rina?" Axel asked when he saw the Japanese woman entering his study.

"Mizuno doesn't seem to have changed her daily life. But Furuhata and her seem to be alone. We don't know exactly since when."

At this, Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"It's what our friends in Japan told me. There's more. All the others seem to have disappeared of the surface of the Earth. We don't know where they are, and nobody is able to locate them."

"We can't feel them?"

"The Artifact has been used but it can't locate their essences."

"Something is shielding their auras from us," Axel murmured quietly. "Do they know about the princess?"

"We don't know."

"They can't hear about her or about our future kingdoms. They would surely not understand it and try to interfere, and we can't have the Senshi on our backs. Find them, make that our priority, but let our European team on the search for her highness. Without her nothing will be possible."

"I'm going back to Japan to join the team here. Do you want to come with me?"

Axel nodded.

"Good idea. Something is going on there, and we need to know what. We're leaving tonight."

"Will you inform him?"

"Dan? Of course. He's the most impatient of us all."

With a little smile, Rina, a pure Japanese of 33, walked calmly toward the door.

Axel never saw her smile turn into a smirk.


	5. Those secrets we keep

**Lineage**

_**Those secrets we keep**_

_**Twenty six years ago. England. Liverpool. **_

"_Do you understand?"_

_The little boy nodded._

"_Yes, dad. I'll remember."_

"_It was your last lesson. This story, this heritage, is our past and key to our future. You must remember all of it perfectly, and one day pass it to your children."_

"_Yes, dad."_

"_It has been our duty for generations and generations, and we will not forget our ancestors, we will not forget to teach our children, we will not forget to pass on the knowledge we have of our bloodline's particularities."_

"_How many are we, dad? Is there a lot of descendants still alive?"_

_His father smiled upon seeing his interest. He was a tall Asian man with black hair and eyes, a charming smile and perfect skin. His ex wife was English and had a fairer complexion, their son had taken more after his father._

"_I'm not sure. My mother used to tell me that there could be one hundred of us and more or less ten families still passing on the genes."_

"_Only one hundred in the whole world?" the eight year old boy asked, disappointed._

_His father laughed._

"_Our kind doesn't have a lot of children, we're too independent, we rarely attach ourselves to a family. Ten families after thousands of years is extraordinary, son. All of the other bloodlines have disappeared, you know."_

"_Why?"_

"_Oh, maybe because they were not enough to begin with. The few families didn't pass the time trial. They had to wed humans sooner than our ancestors, and sadly they didn't have as much luck as us. Most of them have disappeared because of sicknesses, wars and such, and too few heirs."_

"_All of the races?"_

"_Yes," the father smiled again. "At least it's what we've been taught by our parents."_

_The boy was now at the edge of his seat._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, you know, we aren't without faults nor we are without flaw. Vanity and arrogance are two of them, and a lot of us are guilty of it – must be in the genes. I think there may be a few survivors of the other bloodlines, only they are so few and their aura and particularities so weak that we can't detect them."_

"_Do you think that all the lines still have descendants?"_

"_No, certainly not. Maybe one or two. Maybe. And who knows, maybe you'll meet one of them one day."_

"_It would be cool! But how would I know?"_

"_Maybe you won't."_

"_And do you believe the Senshi will really be reborn?"_

"_Without a doubt. But nobody can predict when. They could already be born, or it could happen decades from now."_

"_Will they change Earth?"_

"_Why?"_

"_They're royalty, they're legend!"_

"_Well, the legend says that they will be reborn to protect the last planet – Earth – from Evil. Who knows what will happen? We can only hope that they'll succeed."_

"_They will. I'm sure of it! And o__ur princess will protect us!"_

"_What is our credo?"_

"_Pride, liberty, honor!"_

"_What is the most important?"_

"_To protect our kind."_

"_What is our rule number one?"_

"_Nobody can know our secret."_

"_Good, Axel. Come on, your mother will be there soon to pick you up. Our week-end has ended."_

"_Dad, does mom know?"_

_The man gazed at his son before frowning severely._

"_What is our rule number one?"_

"_Nobody can know our secret."_

"_Exactly."_

* * *

"Is this really a dog?" Makoto asked, a little disgusted with the creature that happily jumped from Minako's shining convertible.

As promised earlier in the day, soon after lunch Minako had left with her daughter to go to the vet to bring back their dog that had fallen badly ill the week before.

The woman helped her daughter to exit the car with a smile, and the little child went to the black dog to hug it with a squeal.

Mamoru looked at the supposed dog with a frown.

"I… think."

The dog was of no race he could recognize. It was as tall as the level of the man's knees, too thin, its short black fur looked awfully dull, its muzzle too long, its eyes too dark, It had a big and nasty looking scar across its face and right eye, one of his ears had been partly cut off and half of his left foreleg was missing. It heavily limped and looked terribly disturbing.

Makoto suppressed the urge to go separate dog and child when Minako went to them to pet the animal with a soft little smile. It was obvious she loved the thing. That they both did.

"Ew, he's back," Artemis said as he arrived behind them. "I was hoping she had thrown it out."

"Is it her dog?"

"Yep. Minako found him half dead near here when she moved in. Of course she took him in. She's named him Berger."

"Berger?" Mamoru asked.

"Yes. It's the French word for shepherd. _Etoile du berger_, that's how the French call the morning star, Venus."

"Don't listen to him. Artemis is just jealous that Minako let him sleep at the feet of her bed when not so long ago mister here was sleeping on that bed. Berger is a good dog," Luna informed. "Airi loves him, another reason to be jealous."

"Quiet, you," Artemis said with a vexed look. "I'm not jealous of it."

The others giggled.

"Hey!" Airi called them. She looked happily at them, for the first time not one bit shy. "This is our dog, Berger. Isn't he cute?"

Makoto opened her mouth to lie, but Airi looked immediately down.

"You don't like him?" she asked.

"Wh… what? Of course I like him."

"You find him weird. But he's nice!"

Minako put her hands on her daughter's shoulders to push her to look up at her.

"She didn't say she didn't like him," she reminded her softly. "You shouldn't assume what one is thinking only because you think you understand. You should let people voice their feelings."

"But what if they're lying?"

"Lies are sometimes necessary and a way to show someone kindness or to protect someone. Besides, you have to admit that Berger is not really a beautiful fellow."

"I don't care that he doesn't look good or normal. Appearances don't matter."

"Of course it doesn't in the end," Minako smiled softly. "But you can't let what you're sensing control your opinion."

Airi frowned and looked at Makoto attentively. Then she reddened a bit.

"I'm sorry, you shouldn't feel guilty," she whispered, lowering her eyes, surprising Makoto with her perspicacity. Airi then raised her eyes again and offered her that little smile with dimples that made her look so much like Minako despite the differences of their features. "I'm sure you're going to love Berger with time."

"I'm sure I will," Makoto smiled.

"Come on, Berger, we're going to watch _Nightmare Before Christmas_!"

She went inside with the dog following her and Minako shook her head.

"And I thought that she had stopped watching that movie. I should have burned it."

"Isn't she a little young for that?" Makoto asked curiously.

Minako rolled her eyes.

"She loves it. She spends hours singing the songs. She adores _Lilo and Stitch _too, but that's at least more usual. She's a strange little creature, my daughter."

"I find her bright, fascinating and adorably unusual, for a human," Luna declared.

Minako giggled, and Makoto realized suddenly that it was the first time in a day and a half that she saw her face lit up like that. That thought made her strangely sad and uneasy at the same time.

"Thanks, Luna," the young mother said.

"She's an empath too, isn't she?" Mamoru asked seriously.

All joy and pride left Minako's eyes and face at once. She tensed and recovered the indifference that seemed to disappear only when she interacted with her daughter.

"I'm sorry if she made you ill at ease, Makoto. She's still very clumsy with her gifts, and she doesn't understand yet that she has to hide it and to avoid throwing others' feelings back in their face."

"She inherited your natural gift? Then…"

One hand went to her belly, and Makoto felt her child move inside of her. Minako followed her gesture and shook her head.

"I don't think that your baby will inherit your natural gifts, do not worry."

She turned to go inside, and in doing so she missed the anxious glances Mamoru and Makoto exchanged.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Motoki asked. The little restaurant was almost empty now. "I thought it was a Senshi thing?"

"We thought so too," Ami explained with her usual calm voice. "And I still think that it's linked to it. But despite what Luna and Artemis told us that particularity isn't in our genes, in our blood."

"Then if Makoto's gifts have been enhanced these last months, it's really because of the baby, like we suspected?"

"Makoto has shown enhanced abilities in sensing the changes of the weather, electricity and of course in her link to flowers, trees and vegetation. Our natural gifts are all blocked to their minimal level since our last Senshi battle. Maybe the pregnancy and all the changes it implies for the body and mind are what unbalance her gifts. But we can also wonder if it isn't because the baby is developing it and in doing so is strengthening Makoto's."

"Whoa, oh, wait. My baby will have gifts too?"

"No. Maybe not, but it's a possibility. I think that if it happens your child won't inherit the gifts to their fullest. It won't be a Senshi, after all."

"Wait. Does it mean that it's a girl?"

Ami smiled.

"Not necessarily. Senshi are women, but we're only talking about human gifts here. Others than us have a few, you know. Look at Rei. Half of her sixth sense and affinity with fire is from her Martian heritage, the other half is due to her human side or her beliefs in the Kami."

"I see. But Mako and our baby aren't in danger, are they?"

"No, don't worry. I don't think it hurts either of them."

"Oh. That's good." He smiled and ate a little of his cake. "Man, I miss Makoto so much already, but she seemed happy when she called me. Neph told you about little Airi?"

"Yes, what a surprise! I asked him for a picture."

"Me too. I'd have loved to go with them. Mako said that Minako is being really secret and quiet."

"Yes. I think it must have been hard for her to see them appear on her doorstep suddenly without warning."

"Still, it's so weird, her desire to be left alone like that. She even stopped the concerts and it's been a while since her last song."

"Minako always has her reasons for every decision she takes. I'm sure that that one isn't different. Only we can't see it because she follows her own rules and vision of the world, and her independency and need to not rely on anyone have the tendency to lead her on dangerous roads."

"I wonder what rule she was following when she disappeared like that years ago. Do you think it was only because she was pregnant?"

"No. I don't think Minako is the kind of people to run away only because of the possible gossip."

"But Rei…"

"Rei knew, I think that she was the first to know besides Minako. Rei never told us anything about their breakup, but things were strange between them months before it. I never would have thought that they would leave each other's life like that though. They were so dependant on the other, even years before the beginning of their romantic relationship. I bet they've found a way to stay connected these last years, even barely, even if it was distant."

"They love each other."

"I think they always will."

"It makes me sad," the man whined with a little grimace. "And now Minako has a child, father unknown, it's so weird."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose it is," Ami sighed.

They stayed silent for a while, but Motoki noticed that Ami's mind seemed elsewhere.

"Something troubling you?"

"It's about Mako's gifts trouble. I just wonder why Luna and Artemis were so sure it was a matter of genetic. It's seems to be more of a spiritual and magic heritage."

"Yeah. It's not like them to be wrong. Not about things like that anyway."

"Yes. It's not like them," Ami whispered, lost in her thoughts.

* * *

Nephrite could feel her eyes on him, but every time he raised his head Airi was looking attentively at her drawing. He sighed quietly and kept on reading.

The child and the man were in the living room as the evening was advancing. Nephrite could hear Makoto, Luna and Rei in the kitchen, while the Chiba were still enjoying the pool. Minako, who was always keeping an eye on Airi, had left his sight for a few good minutes now, and he wondered if she had decided that he wasn't a threat to her baby and could be left alone with her without risk. The thought made him smirked.

Nephrite had never been around children a lot, but he had to admit that this one was rather interesting. They had been in each other's company for almost two hours now and Airi hadn't say a word, and didn't even uttered a sound except when Minako had asked her some things. She was calmly coloring her weird pictures, humming sometimes a few notes terribly off key – especially considering who was her mother, and occasionally she threw a glance toward the TV that she had almost set on mute since she had decided that whatever was broadcasted wasn't worthy of her attention.

He raised his eyes in time to catch her looking curiously at him this time. She quickly lowered her head.

"You want to ask me something?" he asked gently, amused.

The girl didn't look at him and reddened.

"You know, I don't eat children, you don't have to be scared."

When she didn't answer him, he sighed and resumed his activity.

"You're really quiet," she noted softly, timidly.

Again, he raised his head and this time she openly looked at him.

"You don't talk much yourself."

"But I am strange."

"What?"

She ignored him.

"Your friends talk a lot. And some are loud."

Nephrite tried not to laugh. He had already noted how Airi seemed wary of Usagi. She avoided her like the plague to the dismay of the woman.

"Do you miss Ami?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know about her?"

"I have ears," the girl stated, as if he was the dumbest creature she had ever met. "Ami is your wife?"

"Fiancée," he corrected.

"You miss her."

He wanted to ask her why she was saying that, but she had suddenly turned her attention to the TV, her face suddenly alight with joy and interest.

Curious, Nephrite turned his head toward the screen only to see an old video clip of Minako. Airi watched the 15 year old form of her mother with fascination, before it turned to curiosity when the video ended only to be replaced by the six year old images of Minako exiting a shining black limousine surrounded by reporters and fans. The stunningly dressed young woman smiled to all of them before elegantly walking on the red carpet toward the building where a ceremony was held. Then the images changed to a male singer and his new girlfriend and Airi put the TV off.

"She looked tiny in this video, didn't she?" she asked, her voice more vivid as she had seen that he had been watching too.

"Yes. She was still young then."

"But she was so thin."

Nephrite was sure that Minako had never explained to her young daughter her past health troubles, so he didn't comment.

"She's beautiful, isn't she? You know, mommy doesn't like silence. When I stay quiet for too long, she talks and talks, or she put on some music. But she seems happier when I talk to her. I like it when she smiles and laughs."

Suddenly her voice trailed off, and she seemed a little embarrassed to have confessed all that to him. Her cute worried expression and her words full of innocence and love for her mother moved him beyond understanding.

"When Ami smiles and laughs, it makes me happy," he said quietly, choosing simple words, pushing out of his mind the laugher and teasing glints he would discover in the eyes of his friends if one day they got wind of that little discussion.

But Airi seemed happy with his confession, she even gratified him with an adorable smile just for him, and to his own dismay, his heart swelled with pride.

The little girl finished her drawing and put away her pencils. She then took a book near her and went shyly toward Nephrite before hopping on the couch next to him.

She seemed to study her picture for a little while, frowning, as if she was assessing it. To Nephrite's humble opinion, it looked like a big and ugly yellow potato with large red eyes and tiny black ears, dancing on a vibrant green and orange background that resembled absolutely nothing that the man knew, but was eerily worrying.

His opinion didn't seem at all shared by the artist. Visibly happy with it, she nodded, put it carefully between Nephrite and her and opened her book without a sound, imitating the man's position.

Soon after, he was once again immersed in his novel.

* * *

"He seems to like her."

Minako started and glared at Rei. The other woman had appeared from nowhere behind her as Minako had been watching Nephrite and Airi reading from the mezzanine.

Rei looked at the other woman with surprise and curiosity.

"Did I startle you? It's a first."

Minako shrugged before going back to the corridor and then to Airi's room. Filled with strange toys from _Nightmare Before Christmas!_ or simply toys that her daughter had seen and loved – most of which Minako found positively ugly and generally scary or disturbing – or both, the room was decorated in pale yellow and orange, contrasting with the weird theme of most of the stuff that was everywhere. Minako took some pride that Airi's favorite colors happened to be the royal colors of Venus.

She eyed the room and rolled her eyes. Her four year old child was a neat freak. All toys were at their precise place, and the only things that weren't happened to be the covers on the bed. Airi hated sleeping in a well made bed, so Minako never bothered with it.

Everyday the quietness, kindness and tidiness of her child reminded her of…

"Are you going to keep avoiding us?"

Minako turned to Rei, feeling annoyed and terrified at the same time. She didn't like how Rei looked at her, and hated knowing that despite the years the woman could still be able to read her.

"I didn't exactly want you all there."

"You look tired."

Maybe it was the tone, soft and warm. Or her beautiful eyes. Or the surprising change of subject. But Minako found herself speechless.

Her silence seemed to worry Rei, who took a step toward her.

"Minako?"

The idol immediately took a step back, incapable of staying neutral when Rei was so near that she could sense her natural perfume, when she could almost feel her soft breathe against her skin.

God, Minako never could have guessed how fast she could fall back into that burning love and desire. Was it her fault if Rei had never been more stunning? Was it her fault if she was attracted to her and if all her senses were painfully developed because of her mere presence?

The years didn't matter and in a strange way, their past and the pain didn't either. Not when Rei was there, before her, seemingly still the same, still honorable and strong and stubborn.

Same eyes, same aura, same soul.

She knew this woman as much as she knew herself.

"I'm fine, I'm not tired. I'm retired, remember?"

"Yes. Of course."

Rei's eyes were searching hers, and Minako had to fight to resist the urge to avoid her stare. Damn, she was not used to it all anymore, not used anymore to this game of cat and mouse.

"When are you leaving?"

Rei smirked.

"Strange, I remember you as more polite."

"I remember you as more honest, and there you are with our friends."

"If only you weren't so stubborn."

"You have no right to judge me," Minako snapped. "Not anymore."

"I don't judge you. But I don't understand you."

"Sometimes I think you never did."

Rei moved a little around the room.

"Sometimes I think so, too."

These words hurt. They hurt like hell. Minako wanted to deny them, because if somebody knew her and understood her in this world, it was Rei. And if even Rei Hino couldn't understand her, couldn't see her, then Minako just couldn't fathom what her place in this planet and life was supposed to be.

"She's really beautiful, you know," Rei said, and her voice seemed to tremble for a second.

Minako turned her head and saw Rei looking at the framed photo Airi kept on her bedside table. Like all the things the little girl seemed to love, the picture wasn't ordinary. It had been badly taken because of the timer. It had been in winter, last year, Minako and Airi, age 3, were both drenched, both of them laughing after a snowball fight and not even facing the camera. In fact, they were only appearing on the left corner of the top of the picture and half of Minako's body was not on it.

"She's happy, cute and…" Rei smiled. "Special. She reminds me of a girl I use to know."

Minako nodded, her eyes on the night that was falling.

"I'm lucky to have been blessed with such a perfect child."

"Do not underestimate yourself. You raise her well. For all it's worth, you're a wonderful mother."

Tears almost made their way into her eyes. One day. One day and one night, and Rei had already found her way right back into her heart and soul. And Minako damned her weakness, but five years of pent up emotions and non stop wariness had made her unstable.

"I'm not so sure," she murmured, her voice sounding distant to her own ears.

"Why?"

Minako cleared her throat, shook her head and swallowed her feelings back. She couldn't be weak.

Rei seemed to hesitate, but it didn't last.

"You never told me why you changed your mind, you know."

"I…" Minako tried to find words that would match what she had felt years ago. Somewhere inside of herself, she felt like she owed this to Rei, even if another part of her knew it wasn't the case. The only one to whom she'd have to explain herself to would be Airi, but the time wouldn't come until a few more years. "I was ready to call the clinic, but… but I couldn't do it. I don't know why, because I surely never wanted to have a baby, but… I couldn't abort. So I went to England to clear my mind, and I ended up staying in different parts of Europe and I stopped my career soon after."

There was silence for a while. Finally, Rei walked to the door and stopped just before leaving.

"I'm glad you didn't do it."

"It was Keiko two years ago, wasn't it?" Minako blurted out before she could even think of stopping herself.

Rei tensed and didn't turn.

"Why do you ask?"

Minako didn't know. She just remembered the time when she had called Rei and had felt in her tone and in her choice of words that she wasn't alone, and that it was serious. Minako thought that this relationship had lasted a few months, but she wasn't totally sure.

"Usagi's slip of the tongue intrigued me, that's all."

"Keiko and I aren't together anymore, it's old news. I believe she's in America now, we didn't stay in contact."

Minako wasn't sure of what she was feeling. She didn't need to sense it to know that Rei had been hurt by something in that relationship, and she had the urge to go to her and to try to heal her wounds, but repressing these unwelcome emotions was easy, almost too much so. It was strangely harder to bury her curiosity, but Minako input that on her loneliness and lack of adult interactions of these last months. She hadn't seen friends in that long.

"I'm sorry for you."

And despite all the history between them, the words were so sincere that they almost hurt her throat.

Rei seemed surprised. She turned her somber eyes toward her, and then slowly nodded.

"It's alright. And you? Any relationships?"

By relationships, she meant lovers and Minako understood it. Rei knew that Minako was too distrustful to pursue a relationship with someone she wasn't sure of.

"I have a daughter I must think of now," Minako said neutrally. "Besides, I haven't been near people for social calls since my last concerts. Amachachi babysitted for me then, with Artemis watching over Airi."

She didn't think that it was necessary to specify that she had once gone out with a beautiful European woman at the occasion of her last concert last year because she knew Rei had her annoying sixth sense that surely had whispered her a few things – fortunately, such sixth sense didn't allow details nor did it explained anything.

Nor did she wanted to tell her about that Chinese young man she had fallen into bed with two weeks only after their breakup.

Minako just wouldn't be able to bear having Rei looking at her like she had stared at her almost five years ago, when she had understood that Minako was a little more Aphrodite-like than she would have liked.

Not that it was a crime or anything, the way Minako saw it. Rei had broken up their relationship after all, freeing Minako of all her promises to her. She had been a woman, heart broken, lost, angry and feeling rejected, and she had been in need of a distraction. She had needed to feel wanted, to feel alive, to _feel_, simply.

It wasn't her fault Rei was always so damn upright, to the point of being intolerant sometimes.

But it was Rei. With Rei, the world was either black or white. No place for grey. It was this Manichean way to see the world that sometimes pushed her to ignore others' way of thinking or living their life. It was because of that, too, that she sometimes couldn't understand others' needs or interests, like she never had understood Usagi's need to always be positive, Makoto's desire to marry, Minako's endless craving for attention.

And despite all of that, Rei could still be the most beautiful soul that Minako had met. The idol didn't care about these flaws, because she knew she herself was full of them. She was hard on others, arrogant, sometimes disdainful, she was too secretive, a workaholic, distrustful and was still at 26 a prisoner of her own web of lies.

The Chinese man hadn't been the only one she had slept with just after the breakup. Minako didn't know if Rei knew about him, but she of course knew about the little affair that ended with Airi's conception – the only good thing that had come out of this sad and pitiful night (she wasn't thinking about the sex or the orgasms, but of the circumstances, of course).

She was just thankful that Airi had taken after her physically. She had almost inherited nothing of the father. She only had hair a lot lighter than Minako, softer traits too. At least, the genetic lottery had been on Minako's side.

"Are you going to move again?"

"Yes," Minako answered without hesitating.

Rei seemed angry, but she hid it quickly.

"Why?"

"Because you've brought them here."

"They're your friends!"

"I'm not saying they aren't. I just want to be sure that nobody will know where to find us."

"Why are you so worried about that?" Rei asked, exasperated.

"I'm just being careful, Rei!"

"I'm beginning to fear for you mental health."

"Now you're worrying about me?" Minako replied bitterly. "Great timing, Reiko."

"What?" Rei asked, her eyes shining with frustration and feelings Minako couldn't read. "I've always worried about you, isn't it part of what you hated about me?"

Minako went to her with anger born of disbelief and despair, and she stopped just inches from Rei, her face so close to hers that she could perfectly hear and feel every intake of air of the other woman. Her proximity was intoxicating, but Minako had no trouble controlling herself this time.

"That was one of these things I loved the most about you," she whispered with ire, hiding her sadness, her not so profoundly buried need to be saved again and again by this woman. "I needed you to hold my hand and to tell me that everything was going to be alright."

Rei's eyes widened, and it wasn't because these words were a revelation to her. A lot of unsaid things had been fundamentals in their couple's dynamics, the fact that they protected each other and let the other (and only the other) protect them, that they had trust in the other to be strong for them when they stumbled, was one of these things.

But it was the first time such a thing was stated out loud, and by Minako of all people. Minako, who had never ever suggested she could have needed someone or something, who had loathed any sign of weakness or vulnerability in her words or acts, who had hated showing that she could be afraid and unsure like any human had the right to be sometimes.

Rei shook her head sadly.

"How could I help you, when you were incapable of even telling me what was bothering you? How could I have been there for you, when you were putting such a distance between us? How could I hold your hand, when you kept withdrawing it from my grasp?"

"I reached out to you once."

The anguish in Rei's eyes was suddenly laced with regret.

"But I couldn't follow you on this path."

"It always was that problem, wasn't it," Minako whispered bitterly. "Our paths never merged. Don't worry about me, I'm fine and I'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

She then tried to leave the room upon hearing Mamoru's call – the dinner was ready, but Rei took her hand, and Minako's heart clenched.

"It's still the same thing, isn't it?" Rei asked, her voice suddenly filled with tension. "You're running away from the same thing that was worrying you so much years ago."

"It doesn't concern you. Let me go."

"What is it? If only you could really trust me for once –"

"It never was about trust. Never."

"Then what is it?" Rei insisted, doubting it.

Minako hesitated for a few seconds. And then she left without another word, without a glance.

Inside of her memory a few words - long ago engraved in her in the midst of others, resurfaced, and they almost seemed to taunt her, to laugh at her.

Her soul burned, but it was also bending to this old and well learnt lesson.

_Rule number one: Nobody can know our secret._


	6. Hope equals torture and redemption

**Lineage**

_**Hope **__**equals torture and redemption**_

_**Twenty years ago. Iwate Prefecture. Japan**_

"_Mom! Mom, I'm home!"_

_The woman smiled brightly upon hearing her six years old daughter. She waited for her energetic and ever enthusiastic child to enter the kitchen, already knowing that she would have to berate her for her bad grades. The girl loved playing, play acting and sports far more than studying, and the mother already knew that sadly it wouldn't change in the future and would be the source of many screaming matches._

_She smiled upon thinking that they would surely be at each other's throat when her beautiful and luminous daughter would reach her teenage years._

"_I had a great time! I love volley ball, and coach said that I'm really good at it for a girl my age!"_

_The__ words the mother wanted to say to that died in her mouth when the woman saw her child entering with a big smile on her face and knees badly scratched, blood seeping from the wounds._

"_Minako! What have you done?!"_

"_What? Oh, nothing, I jumped from the tree and I fell. But I was the one to climb the highest!"_

_The mother shook her head with worry and incredulity before she carefully took the little girl in her arms and sat her down on the table._

"_Don't move, would you?"_

"_But it's fine! Ouch!"_

"_Please, baby, stay still."_

_Minako grimaced and stopped moving._

"_I'm not a baby," she mumbled._

_Her mother took what she needed to clean the wounds and wondered where her daughter had gained her recklessness and endless energy. _

_She cleaned the wounds as quickly as she could, but as always her daughter took the pain without crying. She was so proud, _too_ proud. But despite of her bravery, Minako was still a six year old, and tears quicky filled her eyes._

"_Here. Minako, I don't want you to climb trees anymore. Understood?"_

"_But –"_

"_It's dangerous."_

_Her daughter sighed and then sniffled._

"_Fine."_

"_Why did you do that anyway?"_

_Minako avoided her eyes, and the heart of her mother fell when she felt her sadness._

"_They don't like me."_

"_What?" the woman asked, not used to see her usually happy child so down._

"_The other children, at school. They don't like me, you know."_

"_Oh, sweetie, I'm sure that they like you."_

"_No, they don't. I felt it. I tried to make friends, but they find me weird. Nobody wants to be my friend. But when I played volleyball everybody seemed to like me more. And then Hiroshi was laughing at me on the way here, but I climbed higher than him and I jumped, and even if it hurt I didn't cry because I knew he would laugh. You should have seen his face when I jumped though. Now he won't laugh anymore."_

_The woman gently took the pretty face of her daughter between her hands and tenderly looked into her shining hazel eyes._

"_You know, sometimes, people need time to warm up to something they don't really understand, to extraordinary things. You are a special child, an extraordinary young girl, do not doubt yourself. One day they will all see how beautiful and special you are__, because you'll do great things."_

"_But I just want to have friends," Minako replied, sobs in her breath._

"_You'll have friends. Wonderful ones, and as special as you. You'll see, you just have to be patient. You will have extraordinary friends, princess."_

_She hugged her and secretly cursed all these brats that had made her precious daughter so sad. Minako was the most curious, lively, stubborn and sensible child she had ever met, and she wasn't thinking that because she was her baby. She was too confident of course, mischievous, lazy, arrogant, loud and a little crazy sometimes, but it was all part of her charm, even if the woman would never admit that to anyone. _

_Of course, Chiyoko Aino had understood long ago that her baby girl was even more special than what she had been supposed to be. Her aura was brighter, her feelings always more intense, she saw the world as a beautiful and interesting place despite its dark sides, she was fascinated by every person she met, she was always trying to make others happy with her big smiles and more often than not badly chosen jokes._

_She was such a wonderful girl. And her mother knew that she was destined to do extraordinary things for this world and its inhabitants, a duty directly inherited from a forgotten past._

_Despite her pride at having given birth to this chosen one, despite her beliefs and her heritage, everyday made Chiyoko doubt even more that all of this was fair._

_Sometimes, she caught herself dreaming that her daughter was ordinary, that she wasn't this sacred being. _

_The simple thought was in itself treason to all she had been taught and maybe to Earth itself._

_But she was just a mother who with each passing day wanted to protect her innocent little girl even more. _

"_Mom?" The woman looked at her daughter who grinned widely despite her still wet cheeks. "Can I have waffles with chocolate?"_

"_Yes," the mother smiled, helping her young daughter jump from the table. "You can. But only because you need energy to help those wounds heal, my little princess."_

_The simple happiness o__n her child's face was all the woman needed to know._

_She couldn't stand the thought of all innocence and joy being ripped off of this angelic gaze because of __such a terrible thing as destiny, and all she had on her side was hope. _

_

* * *

_

_**Eigh**__**teen years ago. London. England.**_

"_I thought that you were living in Japan now."_

"_It was the case until a few days ago."_

_The handsome man sat down on the couch. It was rather late, and he knew that she knew why he was there._

"_How have you been, cousin?" he asked, ignoring her coldness and the anxiousness coming from her aura. _

"_Fine."_

"_I see that you still live alone."_

"_We're not the kind of people to attach ourselves to lovers, Ken. Two divorces and countless of affairs should have taught you that."_

_He smiled at his beautiful cousin and nodded._

"_Indeed."_

"_How is your son? Axel, was it?"_

"_Fine. I don't see him often now that he's a teen though. He still lives in this country. You won't offer me anything to drink, Chiyoko?"_

"_No," the woman said coldly. She never was one to bend down to anyone and to keep her thoughts to herself. "I want you to leave my home."_

"_It was a bright idea to leave Japan to come here. By the time we understood who she was, it was too late to find you. But here I am."_

"_I don't know what you're talking about." _

_He stood up and smiled._

"_Of course you know what I'm talking about. Our family has the responsibility of the Artifact since a century and I'm currently its holder, and you know that perfectly. It's how I detected her strong aura."_

"_She's just an ordinary nine years old girl who dreams about adventures, volley championships and stardom and who tries by all means to avoid doing her homework to go sing and play with her comrades."_

"_I'm sure she's a wonderful child," he said neutrally. "But for what I gathered, she isn't the most popular. She always feels just a little different, just a little off, doesn't she? Too special to be really part of a group, she –"_

"_You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know her. Now leave."_

"_Her gifts are stronger than her blood would have allowed. Her sacred aura shines so much that even a mere human could feel it."_

_Chiyoko opened the door and glared at him._

"_We are human, dear cousin. Rule number 2: never forget your origins. It includes humanity more so than the Golden Kingdom."_

"_Of course, of course. You know, the other Senshi were all born in Japan the same year as your beautiful little girl. Sooner or later the Moon will once again awake Sailor Venus."_

"_She's just a child, not a guardian, not a soldier! Get out."_

"_Mom? Who is it?"_

_Chiyoko turned her head toward her sleepy daughter._

"_Go into the kitchen, Mina." She waited for her daughter to obey, and then glared at her cousin. "She isn't a toy to your ambitions or for destiny to use, she's _my child_. I don't care what you think she has to do or to be, and I don't care about what a sterile satellite wants."_

"_You forget your heritage. You forget that our bloodline has waited for this for thousands of years. At last, our hour is near!"_

"_She is a clumsy and hyperactive little girl, and that's all she's going to be at the moment," the mother snapped. "Leave our home, and never come back."_

_He shook his head as he would to a petulant child._

"_It saddens me that you see this wonderful news that way. Your daughter has been chosen, and it's a privilege to have her in our family and in our bloodline. Can't you see what this means?"_

"_I see that I will do anything in my power to protect my baby, _anything_. Goodbye, Ken."_

"_You know that I have to find the other families to warn them. You can't fight destiny, Chiyoko. I'm sorry."_

"_Don't be. I don't want to see you near my daughter, and be sure to tell that to the others too."_

"_Pride, liberty, honor," he told her. "We'll see each other again. Goodbye, young Minako. We'll follow your progress closely."_

_Chiyoko turned to see her curious daughter standing just behind the kitchen's door as he left. She sighed and closed the door._

"_Mom, who was that?" Minako asked, frowning. "Something seemed familiar in his aura."_

"_It's because we have something in common in our blood."_

"_What –"_

"_Do not worry about it," Chiyoko advised her, guiding her toward the girl's room. "Why are you awake?"_

"_I heard you," Minako told her before she jumped on her bed. _

"_Do you still have a headache?"_

"_No, I'm better. Why are you worried?"_

"_It's nothing. Mina, what would you feel about moving back to Japan?"_

_Minako shrugged._

"_Why not? But I want to keep playing volleyball and taking music lessons."_

"_Of course."_

_Chiyoko tucked her in and kissed her forehead tenderly as Minako looked at her, worried._

"_Why are you sad, mom? Is it because of that man?"_

"_No, of course not. Are you warm?"_

"_I'm fine, mom, I'm not a baby," her daughter groaned. "Mom…"_

"_What?"_

"_If it's because of that math test, I'll work more for the next, you know."_

_Chiyoko shook her head._

"_No, sweetie, it has nothing to do with that. But I expect you to do better at school, or you will be grounded for two more weeks."_

"_Oh, mom!" the girl whined. "I try!"_

"_Then try better. You can do so much better than that, Minako. Do never doubt your capacities, and never listen to those who would like to see you fail. You are extraordinary, never forget that."_

"_You always say that. Except when you're angry at me, of course."_

_Smiling sadly, Chiyoko caressed tenderly her daughter's face._

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too, mom," Minako whispered, already half asleep. "Pride, liberty, honor, mom."_

_The words hurt. They went straight to the woman's heart to tear it to pieces. She had taught her daughter their history, their rules, their credo, all of it. Like her father had passed on the knowledge and memories of their ancestors to her, Chiyoko had passed it to her child as soon as she was old enough to understand, as the tradition wanted._

_Oh, how she regretted it. She wanted her daughter to be proud of her bloodline, to know and cherish her family history. But not at the cost of her life and innocence._

_Where was the liberty in all of that? Where was the pride in letting one of their children fight and risk her life for them all? Where was the honor when their safety and future depended on the sacrifice of a young girl's dreams?_

_Chiyoko watched her__ daughter sleep peacefully for a while. A moonbeam was slipping from under the curtain to softly touch the form of her daughter, creating an eerie glow around her. Without making a sound, the woman went to the window to quickly get rid of the silver light. _

_She knew that __destiny was against her, but she just couldn't let them all make a soldier out of her daughter. _

_She couldn't._

"_Sweet dreams, my little princess."_

_If only Chiyoko had known how strongly the universe was against her, for her child was a fifth of the force on which would depend the world a few short years later. If only she had known how right she was, how her child, like a few others, would only be a lamb sacrificed on the liberty's altar, her innocence reaped from her, her candor destroyed, her trust in the world and in others blown off._

_If only she had known that despite all of that, her daughter would find the strength to stand and to fight, to laugh and to live, to survive and to love._

_If only she had known that the day after that night, she would be erased from the world, leaving her daughter alone, her death triggering a chain of events that would leave her child stronger, older and colder, ready to endorse her future role._

_If only history hadn't the tendency to repeat itself in endless circles, and hope to be such a traitorous thing._

* * *

"Mommy, I lost Temis," Airi said while entering the kitchen where only Makoto and Minako still were.

Minako because she was finishing putting the dishes away, Makoto because she was eating a few cookies. The others were on the terrace, enjoying the warm summer evening.

"Well, you have to think of where you were with him the last time."

"I was playing with Berger and him. I'll ask Berger!"

"Huh, wait! Baby!"

Airi stopped and frowned.

"I'm not a baby."

"Well, _miss_, asking Berger won't help you," Minako said as she turned toward her daughter.

"Why?" Airi frowned when her mother giggled. "You're laughing at me!" she accused.

"No, of course not, honey. Sorry." She went to her and kissed her hair. "But Berger won't answer you."

"Maybe he will! Atis and Luna talk and they're cats!"

Minako smiled gently at her child.

"Artemis and Luna are magic, remember?"

"I know, and I know it's a secret, but it means that maybe Berger will talk if we're nice to him. Maybe he doesn't talk because he was hurt by someone, but he knows that we love him!"

"Airi, Berger won't talk," Minako explained softly. "He's an ordinary dog. Artemis and Luna aren't ordinary cats."

"So he won't help me look for Temis?" asked the little girl worriedly. "I need Temis! He's going to be scared if he's alone!"

"Did you look under the piano?"

The eyes of her daughter widened, she turned on her heels and ran out of the room.

Minako shook her head with a smile before she resumed her task. After a little while, Makoto found the courage to talk, this little scene having put her worries of the last months to the surface of her mind.

"It scares me."

Minako looked at her, puzzled.

"What?"

"Maternity. Having a baby. Raising it. It scares the hell out of me. Far more than fighting monsters at the age of 14."

Minako nodded.

"I know the feeling."

"Is it really that terrible, the delivery?"

Minako's eyes were lowered on the dishcloth she was still holding. She seemed tensed, ill at ease.

"I… don't know," she said quietly.

Makoto frowned.

"Hum, what?"

"I was only half conscious. I was… not in very good health at the time, and I was really stressed. Between that and my medical history, my pregnancy didn't end well. By chance, I didn't faint before calling for an ambulance."

"But… Artemis wasn't with you?"

"Not at the time. He arrived a few days later."

"You mean… he doesn't know?"

"What should I have told him? That… that the last thing I remember about the birth of my baby, just before I slipped into a coma seconds after having delivered her, was thinking that I wouldn't make it and never met her? I was terrified - for my daughter. I didn't know if she was well or not, and I didn't want her to be alone, to be an orphan. When I met Airi, she was already three days old. And the next day Artemis came. I told him there had been complications during the birth, never exactly what. He doesn't know, and I would appreciate if you could keep that to you."

Makoto nodded, feeling a little shaken. She realized that they could have lost both Minako and Airi that day. That they could have died somewhere, alone. That Minako had to face all this alone, the pregnancy, the fear, the near death experience. And still, she had lived through all of it, she had raised her child alone. Makoto couldn't imagine what it had been. She couldn't imagine not having Motoki beside her every step of the way.

She wondered how Rei would react to this story. She would surely be furious that Minako hadn't called her, angry at herself and the idol for their idiocy… Wait. That wasn't Rei's feeling, but Makoto's.

Really, these two women were so stupid sometimes! Makoto couldn't see how two intelligent ex Guardians like them could be so blind and ridiculously stubborn.

"You shouldn't worry," Minako said, perking up. "I'm sure all will be fine for your baby and you. And you'll have the occasion to squeeze poor Motoki's hand during the delivery if it gets a little too much."

At that, Makoto grinned.

"Oh yes. How is it?"

"What?"

"To hold your baby for the first time?"

Minako's smile was softer.

"It's… extraordinary." Then she laughed self mockingly. "I didn't even know how to hold a baby. I was still weak and tired and the nurse came with this tiny thing and put it into my arms and… Airi was so quiet, you know. At first I was worried that something was wrong with her. But when I held her in my arms, I just knew that everything was fine. You don't have to know everything because you'll learn instinctively, and what you won't, you'll learn with time. And before you'll have time to realize it, your baby will be running around, you'll see."

"Mommy, I found Temis! He was hiding under the piano because of the little pixies! Berger and me we saved him!"

Minako took her daughter in her arms.

"Really?" she said with a smile while leaving the kitchen. "Wow, you should tell that to Artemis and Luna, I'm sure they will be impressed!"

Makoto smiled while listening to them. She could see how Minako had changed because of her child. The idol seemed tired, preoccupied and sad most of the time, even Makoto could see it. But when she was with Airi, her whole face lit up.

One thing was for sure. She had never realized more than at this moment how lucky she was to have Motoki and her friends.

She took her phone and went to her bedroom to be alone.

She needed to hear her husband's voice. She was sure that he had at least two stories to tell her that would make her laugh despite (or because) of their idiocy.

* * *

Axel Suwa wasn't one to be patient. His father used to tell him that it was a trait a lot of them shared.

Axel wasn't a fool. He doubted strongly that the genes mixed with various others during thousands of years could be responsible for the few flaws or qualities they shared. Impatience, arrogance, tendency to egocentrism, all those were traits that a lot of people possessed, no need to be one of them for that.

On the other side, he believed that their ancient heritage could have an impact on their sex appeal and independency. Now that he had met a few of his kind, he could attest that a lot of them were attractive, of course, but more importantly they were able to control their aura of seduction like no ordinarily human could. That, and most of them had divorced or had a lot of relationships behind them that hadn't worked out because of their tendency to look elsewhere and to need their liberty above all other things. Few had children (which was a really bad news for the future of their bloodline), and rare were the people who were raising their kids with their partner.

But Axel had seen some beautiful exceptions. People who had been living with the same lover for years without betraying them once, people who were so vibrantly in love that their aura was constantly shining and that the weight of their secret was darkening their gaze.

He had never thought that their heritage could be a burden to someone. He had never met a woman with whom he could have had a connection so sacred that having to lie or hide would have become a malediction.

This simple thought made him ill at ease. There was something worrying about that.

Another thing he had noted: they weren't all equally gifted in the matter of particularities. Some could barely feel auras, when others could almost detect their secrets. Some had trouble controlling their empathy, others could only feel emotions when they were burning in another's mind. Most of them had weak gifts, their blood being so tainted with human genes that their particularities were slowly disappearing, being weaker with each generation, even if one or two families still seemed to have a higher level, like Dan.

He took the Artifact into his hands and sighed. He found it weird, having to look for their princess when all of his father's lessons – their kind's history – were presenting peaceful accession, their princess coming to them to offer them their Promised Land.

But his father and now Dan had seemed certain of the fact that they needed to be reunited with the Heir to see this day come.

His father was dead, and even if Axel had never really been close to him – not since his childhood, he was determined to see his dream come alive.

He took his phone and dialed.

"It's me. I've been looking, and I may have a weak lead. (…). Of course they can't have disappeared, and now that they are all reunited in the same location, whatever shield them could not suffice anymore. (…) No, I don't have an exact location. I need more time for it to be confirmed. (…) Fine, I'll see you at the airport, Dan."

* * *

Rei couldn't sleep.

The more she stayed in this propriety, the more she was feeling like something was creeping into her soul to tear it to pieces. She wasn't the only one to feel that way. She had noticed that Makoto kept throwing glances at the dark woods anxiously. Mamoru and Nephrite, still very attuned to Earth's energy, seemed to sense something off as well.

The woman stood up as she noticed that it was past midnight. She decided to walk a little to try and relax. There were a few things she didn't understand about all this. One of them was this propriety and the feeling she was getting since she was there, and the other was Minako's eerily silent aura.

As the spiritual reincarnation of the Guardian of Light and Love, Minako had a shining and vibrant aura full of swirling feelings and luminous energy. Rei could usually detect it immediately, without even trying, being more in tune with Minako than with anything or anybody else in this world.

This silence had happened a few times in the past, when they had still lived together. But by the time Rei had noticed it, all had been back to normal, so she had never brought it up. She didn't understand how it was possible for Minako to hide her sacred aura like that. All of them had such a powerful presence that any person with minimal sensitivity could detect it, and sometimes, when they were angry or wanted to be noticed, even ordinary humans could feel the dormant power in them. Minako was a master at this manipulation of energy, but even she couldn't smother her aura like that.

It was as if she was not just a mere mortal but an invisible one at that. It was impossible.

And then, there was this place. She couldn't fathom why someone would want to live there, in this isolated manor surrounded by these dark and disturbing woods. The propriety was beautiful, yes, and the idol and her daughter could live without having to worry that someone would call the press or come bother them. But it wasn't like Minako at all to do this, to isolate herself like that. But she had this weird need since she had fallen pregnant.

Rei stopped suddenly, having come face to face with little Airi and Temis. The little girl looked surprised and sheepish at having been caught outside of her room at this hour.

Rei smiled.

"Hey," she said quietly, as to not wake the others. "Couldn't sleep?"

Airi hesitated. She looked at her attentively, as she was studying something in Rei. The woman had seen this expression many times on Minako, when they had been younger or during their relationship, when Minako had been unsure of something, worried, intrigued or scared about their interactions or Rei's thoughts.

Airi seemed to finally like what she felt in Rei's aura and feelings, for she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered in that loud style that young children used.

"Why?"

Airi hugged Temis more tightly against her.

"Nightmares," she confessed hesitantly.

"Oh."

"I wanted to find mommy."

"Ok. Want me to help you?"

Airi nodded shyly and Rei took her hand, smiling.

"So, which room is your mom's?"

They went to the third door and entered quietly, only to find a bed unmade and no Minako. The room was as bare and dull as Airi's room was colorful and full of things. There was nothing there, besides furniture and a few clothes and accessories that weren't put away. The walls were bare, and the only picture was of baby Airi, on the nightstand. It was empty and rather depressing, but not that surprising.

Minako had lived too many years in hotels, at least, that's what Rei preferred to think.

"I've seen you before."

The quiet voice of Airi surprised Rei, and she looked down to see the girl gazing attentively at her.

"What?"

"I've seen you before."

Rei smiled.

"I saw you when you were only a little baby, but I don't think you can remember that."

"No," Airi giggled, before frowning. "You saw me when I was a baby?"

"Yes," Rei smiled. "Your mother wanted me to meet you."

"Why didn't you come back again to see us?"

"It's complicated."

"But mommy… I'm sure she would be glad to see you more often. If you are all her friends, why haven't I met you before?"

Rei didn't know what to say. She didn't understand either. Airi sighed quietly.

"You like being near mommy too."

"It's complicated, you know," Rei repeated softly.

Airi shook her head.

"It isn't complicated in you heart. I feel it when you look at mommy."

Rei didn't know what to feel, amusement or embarrassment. It was so simple in this little child's mouth.

"It's… You know, it's…"

"I think she's like you."

Frowning, Rei looked at the little girl.

"You think? You mean you don't feel it coming from her?"

"Mommy is silent. I can't feel what she feels."

"You never feel anything?"

The little girl shook her head.

"Nope. I think mommy can't feel us, too, even if she says she's like me."

Rei's heart clenched. Could Minako have lost her gifts? Was it the explanation to her invisible aura?

But how?

Was it even possible?

"You know, you look sadder now," Airi said with hesitation.

"What?"

"You look sadder."

"Airi, you never –"

"If I tell you, you have to swear not to tell mommy. Because it's a secret. She doesn't know."

Intrigued, Rei could not resist. She nodded.

"Ok. I promise."

Airi looked at her with a serious expression for a few seconds before she went to Minako's bed. She took something hidden between the bedside table and the mattress and showed it to Rei.

It was a photo, taken a few months after the beginning of their relationship. On it, Rei and Minako were laughing, the former in the arms of the second, both dressed casually. Artemis had taken this during one of these Sundays they had spent in their flat, enjoying quiet time together.

When she had moved out of their apartment, Minako had left behind pictures, albums and other memories, and if Rei had been hurt by this attitude, she had also understood that in a practical sense it had been the thing to do. But at the time she had thought that Minako would have come get the rest of her things once she would have bought a new place. Instead of that, Minako had left for Europe and then had disappeared.

The thought that she had had this picture all along and that she hid it in her bed like a precious secret was making Rei's heart sing and burn at the same time. She felt tears come to her eyes, and she didn't even know why exactly, or what she was or should be feeling.

"Why are you sad?"

Rei tried to smile at Airi but she simply couldn't.

"I'm just…"

"She looks happy in this picture. You too."

"We were."

"You made her happy."

"She made me happy too. But things are different now."

"Why? You know, mommy she's so sad sometimes. But I don't tell her I see it."

"I…"

"Now you're sad too." Airi went to hide the picture again and shrugged. "Maybe now that you're here you can help mommy."

"I'm not sure that your mom needs help."

Airi turned to her and narrowed her eyes.

"You're lying."

Rei reddened. It seemed that when it came to her mother, Airi wasn't so shy or intimidated anymore.

"You're all red," Airi noted, looking delighted. "I do that too. Mommy never blushes, but I do it all the time."

Rei couldn't help but smile, amused.

"Yes, I know. It's kind of annoying, huh?"

"Yes."

"You know, a lot of people redden when they're ill at ease. You shouldn't worry about that."

Airi looked embarrassed, but she offered her a little contrite smile.

Rei knew it wasn't really moral to interrogate a four year old, but it wasn't like Minako was being opened, was it?

She kneeled down before Airi and smiled warmly.

"Can I ask you something?"

Airi nodded shyly.

"Can you remember where you lived before coming here?"

"It was in Scotland. It was a little house. It was cold there," she explained. "But we didn't stay long. Before that, it was in… in… Seattle, yes, Seattle. But before that I don't know. We moved a lot, you know."

"Do you know why?"

Airi shook her head, and she seemed worried suddenly. She hesitated before whispering:

"Mommy said yesterday that we're going to move again. She didn't say where. She…"

"What?" Rei encouraged Airi softly.

"She seemed angry. And worried, I think. Is she angry at you? Because, I think she is."

She seemed embarrassed about it, but Rei smiled to reassure her.

"I know, don't worry."

"The last time… we had to move quickly. I don't remember it well, because it was last year, but I was sleeping and mommy went into my bedroom and we left. We stayed at a hotel, and we came here, and people brought our stuff to us. We just had the Bag."

"The Bag?"

Airi pointed at the closet.

"There's stuff for me in it, and stuff mommy likes a lot, like pictures, and stuff. When we leave quickly, we take that."

Rei frowned but tried to control her worry. She didn't want to scare Airi.

"Come on, we're going to find your mommy. You need to sleep a little."

"Mommy doesn't sleep a lot. Maybe she's in the studio?"

Airi was right. They found Minako in her music studio, still dressed in her day clothes. When she saw them entered, her eyes widened and she put her guitar down.

"Airi? What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Minako took her daughter in her arms as Berger near her raised his head curiously.

"Why?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Oh, sweetie. Is it the shadow monster again? I told you, it doesn't exist."

"But I saw it! And he's broken my nightlight!"

Airi put her little arms around her mother's neck and hid her face against her throat, as many children did to feel safe.

"Come on, I'm going to examine your room and your nightlight and tuck you in, ok?"

"Can Rei come too?"

Minako raised her eyes to Rei, who nodded.

They went to Airi's room and Minako put her daughter on her bed, before she inspected the nightlight.

"Ah, it needs to be change, that's all. See, Ai? No monster."

"But he could be hiding!"

Minako sighed and looked under the bed, in the closets and behind the curtain.

"See? Nothing."

"Ok," Airi whispered, her face half hidden by the covers. "Rei could sleep here so I don't get scared?"

"No, Rei can not sleep here. She needs to sleep in her own bed."

"Can Berger stay?"

"Ok, he stays with you."

The dog had already limped toward the carpet near the bed and was lying down.

"But you're going to be alone if he stays here, and you could be scared, so you should stay here with us."

Minako smiled at that and tickled her daughter, who laughed.

"Mom, stop!"

"You manipulative little thing!"

"Mommy!"

Minako stopped and smiled.

"Big girls sleep in their own bed without their mother next to them. And you're a big and brave girl, Airi."

"Ok," Airi pouted. "But I want my nightlight."

"Of course, I'm going to fix it. Stay put."

Once Minako had put the nightlight on and kissed her daughter goodnight, Rei and the idol left the room quietly, shutting the light off.

"Did she wake you?" Minako asked as they went downstairs.

Rei shook her head.

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Tea?"

"Thanks."

Once in the kitchen Minako prepared a tea for Rei, and coffee for herself.

"It won't help you sleep," noted Rei.

Minako shrugged.

"I hope Airi won't wake up again. She has the nasty habit to get up in the middle of the night."

"Nightmares?"

"No, not really. It's my fault, when she was younger I let her sleep in my bed too often. I'm trying to get her use to sleep alone in her room even when she's scared of the dark and such."

"I think she's worried."

"About?" Minako asked while giving Rei her tea.

"Maybe our presence, and the fact that you're going to move again. She told me you told her yesterday."

"She told you?" Minako asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes."

"She must like you. She doesn't talk easily to strangers."

"I noticed. Well, she seems to like Neph enough."

"Yes," Minako smiled, amused. "Who would have thought, huh? She likes Mamoru too. I think it's because she's not used to be around men, and both of them are quiet and calm."

They stayed silent for a while, both unsure of what they could or could not say, both wanted to avoid fighting again.

Rei tried not to look too much at the other woman, but it was difficult. She had missed her, terribly, to the point where it hurt to be with her now. Of course there had been the phone calls every few months, but they had been jokes, the women unwilling to really talk about their past or their feelings, but needing to know that the other was still there, somewhere.

Sometimes Rei was sure that their love had been damned. Maybe some gods, like Ares and Aphrodite or the past princesses Venus and Mars, were against their union and had cursed them. It couldn't be natural to love someone so profoundly and to only be able to hurt them.

And other times, she thought that a love as beautiful as the one that was still burning in heart couldn't be tainted. If it had exploded in their faces, it was only because they had been stupid.

Minako had gained weight since Airi's birth. Rei remembered how she had dangerously been thin the last months of their relationship, thin, pale and tired, and always stressed. At least the woman seemed to have been more careful about her health these days.

Except that she looked awfully exhausted. And that in these hazel eyes that she had known by heart, Rei didn't see nearly enough sparks to appease her anxiety.

"You look tired," she whispered finally.

Minako shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"But exhausted."

At first, Minako glared at her. But a little smile appeared after a few seconds.

"What do you want to know, Rei?"

"What?"

"I know that look. Come on, ask away."

Rei prayed that it wouldn't end badly.

"You won't answer. You never answer."

"There are things I can't answer," Minako replied quietly. "And others I can."

"Where is the difference between them?"

"It's a long story. What do you want to know so badly that you have this cute worried frown?" Minako asked, with that little gleam in her eyes and that little smirk at the corners of her lips.

_Kami__, don't flirt_, Rei wanted to scream. Because she knew that she could not resist it. Her soul and body were reacting to every move, every gaze, every sound and every smell on Minako's part.

It was exciting. Soothing. Intoxicating.

It was dangerously like coming home.

"What is this place?"

Minako raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You know what I mean. I have a very bad feeling about staying here. My sixth sense is all over the place. You told us that it had stayed empty for years. How did you find it?"

"By chance. Once, years ago during a tour, I was in town and I heard of it."

"You must have felt this… this evil aura."

"It's not evil. It's primal. It doesn't attack you if you don't disrupt it."

"The woods?"

"They're inhabited by a primal force coming directly from the planet. This energy was there before humans came to live in the region, and it didn't like being enclosed in the reduced forest."

"Why come here?"

"I like the manor."

"You wanted to benefit from these woods. They surround the manor."

"The energy coming from them has the ability to conceal spiritual aura so the outside can't detect it."

"Why would you need something like that?"

"Because I was tired of moving all the time," Minako snapped. "And thanks to you, we'll have to move around again."

"Someone is tracking you thanks to your aura?"

"I tried to conceal it. But even if it's harder for them to detect it, they still succeed with time. And now that Airi's is more intense, they won't think that it's an echo of mine and will track us even more easily. This propriety permits to prevent that."

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell you."

Rei knew better than to ask again. She gazed at Minako for a while, and her eyes went to her throat and the necklace that seemed to never leave her. Even if it was hidden beneath her shirt, Rei remembered the pure amber that caught every sunbeam. She remembered having seen it on Minako just before their breakup.

A flash came to her, she saw Venus, and she understood the meaning of it.

It wasn't just a jewel. It was a sacred stone, full of meaning and power.

Venus' stone. The one that was supposed to be on her tiara when she was transformed.

Rei chose to be quiet about her discovery. But she felt that the fact that she couldn't feel Minako's aura just as this stone made its appearance wasn't a coincidence.

The stones had the power to give them their gifts when they were transformed. It wasn't impossible that they also had the power to put them to sleep when they were in their ordinary forms.

It would explain why Minako didn't seem to have her gifts anymore, why she hadn't felt Rei when she had come behind her.

"Where do you live now?" Minako asked, her eyes on her cup of coffee.

"I moved out of the flat three years ago. My place is more in the outskirt of Tokyo, near a park. Makoto and Motoki live near there too."

"Ah."

"You should come visit me sometimes with Airi."

"Maybe."

"You're lying."

"Not really. I just doubt I'll have the occasion, that's all."

"Fearing 'they' will find you if you come see us?"

"I know for a fact that at least one of them is constantly in Tokyo."

When Minako stood up to leave the kitchen, Rei followed her and, stopping in front if the stairs, she took her hand to stop her.

"I won't let you leave."

"Excuse-me?" Minako asked, eyes defiant.

For a second, Rei panicked, having acting on instinct and not wanting Minako to flee faster because of her. But then, she calmed down, the feel of the other woman's skin against her hand and the hazel of her eyes, both so familiar, making her heart beat faster and at the same time soothing her feelings.

"I won't let you leave again for a place unknown."

"I'm sorry, but I will do what I want."

"You could stay."

"Where? Here? I thought you hated it."

"I'm not at ease with knowing that Airi and you are near these woods."

"Airi knows better than to go near it. She feels that it isn't safe, and contrary to me she's a very cautious child."

"But the last time she was hypnotized with it. Minako, she needs to lead a normal life."

Minako freed herself from Rei's grasp, her eyes colder.

"Don't tell me what my daughter needs. _I_ put her into this world, alone. I raised her, alone. I protected her, alone. I know her, and I know what she needs. You, and Artemis and Luna and all the others, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Then explain it to me."

Minako shook her head, and in her eyes, Rei suddenly saw the truth. That Minako wanted more than anything to tell her, to finally share the burden of this story with someone, the burden of these responsibilities, but that something was keeping her from doing it.

That realization took her breath away. Could it be possible? Could it have been here all along? Could she have missed it all these times she had tried to know, to understand, when she had confronted Minako?

"All you have to know is that Airi has the most normal life she can have under the circumstances. I'm not stupid and I'm not heartless. You know me, you know how much I need to feel people around me, how much I like the city, you know how much my career was a part of me. But I left it all behind, because if I can gamble with my existence, I can't with my baby's." Minako's somber eyes looked into Rei's and her voice became softer, as if she understood the burning feelings that danced into Rei's heart. "You have to let me go."

Rei avoided her eyes, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable and naked. Could Minako feel her lasting love for her despite the absence of her gifts?

It was as if the years had dulled the pain and erased the animosity. But it wasn't animosity that had destroyed them, it was incomprehension, it was too many unsaid things.

The next day, Rei would be leaving with the others, and Minako could very well disappear, this time forever. If Rei wanted to talk, she had to do it now.

After four years of too many 'what if' and 'if only I did', it was their chance to say those things that they had kept inside of their heart for far too long.

"I can't let you go," Rei whispered, and she was surprised at the fear she was feeling.

"Why?"

"Because I have this feeling that if I let you leave this time, I won't see you again."

Maybe seeing something in her eyes, Minako smiled at her, reassuringly, and took her hand softly.

"I'll call you," she promised.

But this nagging feeling didn't disappear. Rei shook her head.

"What if you can't?"

"What?" asked Minako, frowning. "Why couldn't I?"

"I don't know."

She didn't know if it was because of their tiredness, but Rei's anxiousness seemed to get to Minako.

"Listen, it's late, we'll see that tomorrow… or rather in a few hours."

"Mina, wait."

Minako stopped again, and Rei thought that she could see fear in those hazel eyes. The idea that she could scare her stung her heart far more than anything.

"I'm sorry," Rei blurted out.

"About what?" Minako asked softly, nervous energy coming from her in waves.

Rei took a calming breath.

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I hurt you too," Minako said slowly, tensed. "And I'm sorry."

The idol's hand seemed to act with a mind of its own. It raised, went to Rei's cheek, the tip of the fingers barely brushing against the soft skin, like a ghost escaped from a past both of the women dreamed about nearly every night. Rei couldn't help it, her eyes closed and she tilted her head, trying very hard not to surround to the delicious shivers invading her whole body, for her soul recognized this touch, this warmth, this burning desire, her soul recognized its mate.

Her eyelids fluttered open again, and her eyes plunged into the hesitant and rather frightened gaze of the woman who slowly retired her hand, looking confused at her own gesture.

Something strong passed between them. Rei thought she saw a spark of an emotion she knew all too well in the hazel gaze, but Minako seemed to repressed it too fast for the other woman to be sure. Still, something bright in Rei's very being awoke to that, warming her heart and soul.

Hope, maybe.


	7. Love is not enough, but Silence can kill

**Lineage**

_**Love is not enough, but Silence **__**on its own can destroy**_

_**More or less six years ago**_

"_You're really quiet," Artemis noted as he sat down on the bench next to Minako._

_The young woman was looking at the water, watching how the sun made the surface shine as if it were made of diamonds. She had always loved this place, the cat knew it. Because almost nobody ever came here, and because it was the place where she had often met Mars in their teenage years._

"_I'm just…"_

_She felt silent. He watched her curiously, it wasn't like her to hesitate. But she had been distant these last months, or maybe it was him who had trouble adjusting. Now that he lived at the Chiba's with Luna and that Minako lived with Rei, the idol and Artemis didn't spend as much time with each other as before. The transition had been difficult for them both, and their respective partners had teased them far too often because of the late night phone calls and surprise visits._

_Artemis had been overjoyed when Minako and Rei had begun dating, he had been with Minako as she had grown up and had known that his protégée had dreamed about it for years. Furthermore, he was delighted to see Minako so happy, knowing full well that the young woman had a chance to let go of her lonely past to build a family with Rei. It was truly amazing to see them together. They rarely showed any outward signs of their love when they were in company of others, even of their friends. But sometimes Artemis could see too long glances, secret smiles, tender touch of hands, simple gestures full of beautiful meanings. _

_Both were too secret and both had grown up cherishing privacy for different reasons. The other explanation __for this discretion was of course the very well kept secret of their true relationship. They didn't want someone unwanted or worse a paparazzi to see a gesture too intimate between them._

"_Your week-end with Rei didn't go well?"_

"_It went well," Minako answered quietly. "It was pleasant."_

"_What is it?"_

"_I'm fine."_

_Artemis shook his head, suddenly worried to see the blank face of his best friend. Minako had the tendency to hide constantly her true emotions, sometimes badly, but this sort of emptiness had always been a very bad sign on her part. _

"_You rarely call anymore, and you've been really busy these days, I heard."_

"_Reiko?"_

"_Usa. Living with your number one fan has its advantages."_

"_I suppose."_

"_So it's about Rei, isn't it?"_

"_No."_

"_Don't lie, Mina. I've been your guardian and your trainer, remember?"_

"_Sometimes… things between us are perfect. Really perfect, you know? And other times… I know she doesn't really like that I spend so much time working, and that I'm so often away. But she spends a lot of her free time at the Shrine, even when I'm here, and I accept it because I know she loves it. I love my career, Artemis. It was there when nothing was, Shacho and Amachachi were there with me, for me, when nobody cared, they were there before you, before everything. Singing, and the fans, it has kept me alive and going, and I confess that I love the attention, being an idol and all that. But Reiko… it's not that she hates my world, but… in her heart, she blames me for being so involved into it."_

"_She knew your dedication before you started dating."_

"_I know. But it's true that this last year I've been really busy with it. I… know that I can be distant sometimes."_

_Artemis traded carefully._

"_I noticed you've been preoccupied lately. I'm sure Rei saw it too. When you decide to share your life with someone, you can't stop halfway." She stayed silent. "If you could share what's on your mind with Rei, maybe things would be better between you."_

"_Rei is not as open as she thinks," Minako confessed neutrally. "I can feel it, I can see it in her eyes sometimes."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She doesn't tell me some things. And I… You know, when I'm away, she's always on my mind and I miss her. I need to hear her voice regularly to be sure that she's out there somewhere, and as the days pass the need to see her becomes overwhelming. I'm jealous of the people she's with when I call her, when something happens I immediately think of telling her about it, when I feel down I wish she could just erase it all," she whispered, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "Sometimes it terrifies me. To be so needy, so… dependent. But I'm so happy when I'm with her, you know. I just feel so… special."_

_Artemis looked at her worriedly, sensing that despite this positive confession something was definitively wrong._

"_It's not wrong to feel that way, Mina," he reassured her softly. "It's natural."_

"_Rei isn't the same."_

"_What?" Artemis asked, tensed._

"_I don't say she doesn't feel the same. It's just that I feel…"_

"_What?" he encouraged as she hesitated. When she stayed silent, he touched her leg with his paw, pushing her to look at him. "You can tell me, you know it will stay between us."_

"_Liar. You're going to tell Luna."_

"_Hum, it's going to stay between us three, then. But if you don't want me to tell her, you know that I'll stay silent."_

"_I don't feel… important."_

"_To Rei?"_

_Minako nodded, almost with shame._

"_I just don't understand why after one year and a half we still have to be this discreet. My name isn't on the papers for the flat, it isn't on the mailbox. I have to hide when I go home, we always have to be so cautious about what we do and it's okay, because I wouldn't want my private life to be on TV or on everybody's lips. But… sometimes… I just think that it would be nice not to have to hear all those rumors on my supposed lovers, not to have to lie to people who ask me if I'm with someone. It would be nice to be… a little more normal, at least on that aspect."_

"_Did you talk about what you're feeling about that to Rei?"_

_Minako shook her head, and his heart clenched when he saw so much sadness and fear in her eyes._

"_I only hinted at it. The secret doesn't bother me that much, I'm too used to having secrets, it's more the fact that I would like to be able to say to everybody that she's mine." She frowned and avoided his eyes. "That sounds lame."_

"_That sounds possessive, and very venusian, if you ask me. They had the tendency to be very possessive of their lover when they were really in love."_

"_I understand that Rei needs to stay in the shadows. God, I know how being in the limelight can be exhausting and unnerving, and I wouldn't like us being chased around. But… I like even less feeling like a stranger in what should be our flat. Our home. I don't like feeling inadequate or guilty because I can't do normal things like everybody else or say things simply as I think them. I'm not good at sharing. I know that. I know that it hurts her."_

"_Mina…"_

"_I could stop it all, Artemis. My career, singing, acting, all of it. I would stop it, you know. I would stay at home and do other things, I would go live anywhere, someplace quiet and peaceful, and spend my life with her, and… and I think I would be rather happy about it, as long as we would do things together. I think that I would feel loved and safe in this sort of life. If she asks me, I'd do it. I'd miss this life of course, but for her, I'd leave it all behind."_

_Her voice shook, he knew it surely wasn't easy to say all of that aloud for her. She was feeling vulnerable, and the slight tremors he felt in her body weren't due to the cold winter air._

"_You love her. I'm sure she knows."_

"_She never asks me to stay. Never. I know that she's too respectful to ask me to abandon my career like that, but she doesn't ask me to take a few days to stay with her or to go somewhere, it's always I who take this sort of decision. Like this week-end. I was the one to insist that we should leave and spend quality time together. I know she doesn't like my timetable, but she only gets openly angry when she sees that I'm really tired and doing too much. She never asks for my presence, unless it's for special occasions like a reunion with the others or Christmas. She never asks."_

_It sounded like a sentence. Something cold and burning. With worry and guilt, Artemis saw and felt how much this truth had been hurting Minako for he didn't know how long. She seemed unsure, sad and fragile, and he cursed silently, angry at himself for not having noticed that sooner. _

_He knew how much Minako could be sensible about things like that. Having spent so much time alone and being so hesitant in her interactions with others, Minako needed to constantly be reminded that she was important and loved, without that she didn't feel safe nor did she felt at ease. Artemis was sure that Rei knew that to an extent. She knew that Minako needed attention and reassurances, because for all her arrogance, celebrity and cold masks, the idol still had the heart of a lonely, distrustful and scared child inside of herself. _

"_But she's delighted when she can spend time with you," he says carefully. "I've seen it."_

"_Yes," Minako whispered. "But… but I… I sometimes feel like I'm a shameful secret that she keeps hidden in her closet. I'm sure that she never speaks about me, to any of her friends at university or at the Shrine, even without saying my name. I'm not even sure that she sometimes talks about our relationship to Makoto and the others. As for her father…"_

_Her somber eyes were shining too much. She gazed at the water, darker now that the cold night was falling, and frowned._

"_No. She'll never ask me to stay until she's ready to face the world."_

"_Minako, you should tell her what you feel about all of that. You should talk to her."_

"_No," Minako said, her voice stronger. "I can't."_

"_Why?"_

"_I can't," she whispered, "because I can't ask of her to change when I'm can't do the same. And there are things that I can't tell her."_

_

* * *

_

"_You seem preoccupied."_

_Rei took her cup of tea and shrugged. Ami could almost feel the thoughts swirling in her mind. She knew that her friend hadn't come there just for tea, even if they visited each other quite regularly. They liked the quiet company of the other, and the sincere conversations they could have when the others weren't there. Not that they didn't love their friends, but since their teenage years Ami and Rei had reached an understanding and they knew that the other would never betray the things they would tell each other and never judge._

"_Things are a little hectic."_

"_And how did the week-end go?"_

"_Well. It was fun."_

_Ami knew Rei was sincere. Rei very rarely lied, she was too honest and righteous for that. If Rei didn't want to tell something, she kept silent._

"_Where's Minako?"_

"_I… don't really know. I just know she isn't working. She sends her greetings. I think she wanted to go out for a walk, spend a little time alone with her thoughts… or something. She… tends to do that a lot. Disappear for a while."_

_It was Minako, then. Ami sat down, a little worried, and kept silent for a while. Like all of her friends, Ami had waited years for the inevitable. When finally Rei and Minako had become a couple, she had been delighted for them. But unlike the rest of their group, Ami had known that it wouldn't be that easy for them. She knew that the two women had a few unresolved emotional issues surely coming from their childhood. She wasn't a psychologist, but she had grown up alongside of Rei and had seen Minako frequently over the years, she knew how they interacted and she understood their pride, independency, stubbornness. She understood, but she certainly didn't approve._

"_Does it bother you?"_

"_It's not the disappearing acts that bother me," Rei explained quietly. "I understand that she needs time alone, with the hectic public life she lives since she's 13. I need this time too, I go meditate at the Shrine often enough."_

"_It's the fact that she doesn't talk about it, isn't it?"_

_Rei nodded without reacting to Ami's good guess. The doctor had always loved that about Rei, the fact that she never seemed to be bothered by others' weirdness. _

"_She's so secret about everything. I know it's like a second nature giving the life she has led, but it's… frustrating, you know? At the beginning I didn't care, but now, sometimes it's like I live with a stranger. She comes back from a trip or even a tour and tells me about her work, a few things about her friends – the one from her world, news about her team, and then, nothing. Half of the time I don't know what's on her mind."_

"_About her career, you mean? Or everything?"_

"_Everything. I found it cute, and even a little exciting before, when we were younger. But now that it's been a year and a half that we're together, now that we live together, I find it a little unnerving. And vexing too. Sometimes… she's right next to me, but I feel that she couldn't be farer away. She sits down at her piano and plays a few notes, and stops and stays frozen, her mind somewhere where I can't reach it." Rei frowned, raised her eyes and Ami saw the fear in her gaze, heard it in her whisper. "It scares me sometimes."_

"_You don't think that she's unwell, do you? I mean, she doesn't –"_

"_I don't know. I don't think she's sick, but she has lost weight these months. And she doesn't sleep well. I wake up in the middle of the night and she isn't beside me, but in the living room reading or just staring into space. I even found her asleep in the kitchen once. She says it's because she's preoccupied about her career or that she has a lot of things on her mind, but I can feel that it's only a part of it. I know that it's because it helps her to keep her distance from whatever it is that's bothering her that she works so much these days."_

"_Have you tried asking her?"_

"_Yes. But she's good at avoiding my questions. And at shutting down. I know there are some things she doesn't tell me. I would accept it, if only I didn't feel that it was linked to her behavior and to her exhaustion."_

"_Maybe she only needs more time to talk to you about those things that she keeps inside of her."_

_Rei hesitated._

"_But… there's the little things too. I mean… Neph is secret too, isn't he?"_

_Surprised, Ami nodded._

"_Well, yes, a little. But Nephrite is easy to read and to understand when you know him. He's not really the best at hiding his thoughts, you know? Minako, on the other hand,…"_

"_Yeah. Minako has never told me a thing about her past."_

_Ami frowned. _

"_You mean, her childhood?"_

"_She never talks about that, or her parents. She's never told me where she was born, where she has grown up or even if she had friends when she was a kid. The only thing I know is that her mother died when she was a child. It's all she has said to me in all these years of friendship. I never saw a picture, I don't know her mother's name, nothing. It's almost eerie, you know. When we moved in our flat together, she had a few boxes of mementos and awards from her career, and gifts from fans and from us, but besides that? Nothing. If I didn't know better, I'd think that she just fell from the sky one day."_

"_When we met her when we were teens, she was already alone," Ami noted prudently. "If she has more family, they weren't involved in her life, and for Shacho to have become her legal guardian they must have left her. Besides, she may have mementos of her mother that she keeps hidden."_

"_Maybe, but it does nothing to put me at ease."_

"_Are you afraid about something in particular?"_

"_I know she loves me, I don't need to be an empath to see it, I know her and I understand her to an extent. But… If after all this time she still can't talk to me about all these things, her family, her past, what she does when she disappear for hours, her secret phone conversations, what she's really feeling about our relationship or our situation, about our future together, about _everything_, and if she can't talk to me about what's disturbing her so much that she can't seem to sleep properly and to take care of herself, how can I know that she trusts me? And if she can't trust me, how can we build something together?"_

"_I understand how this silence can hurt you, but did you tell her how you feel about her distant nature?"_

"_No. Well, yes, but not exactly. I'm sure she knows to an extent. She's Venus, after all. And if she doesn't talk, it's because she doesn't want to. I understand that she needs her liberty, you know. I need it too, we're similar in a few aspects. She does her things on her side, I do mine. It's okay. I just don't like feeling this… put aside. Who am I? One of her fans? Sometimes I feel like I'm just the keeper of the flat. And there's that too. The flat. She never seems to be really at ease there. It's like she thinks of it as another hotel, but an hotel tailored for us. I tried to talk to her about it, but it's not that easy. Every time I try, she shuts down, denies it or distracts me."_

"_Distracts you?" Ami repeated with an amused smile._

"_She can be very distracting!" Rei said, reddening, before her face fell again. "It's like she's scared of something. Of me."_

"_I have trouble imagining that," Ami confessed quietly._

"_I can't say that it doesn't hurt me," Rei whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "I can't say that every time she leaves for her career I don't feel left out. And when she keeps me at arms' length… sometimes, I wonder if I'm really…"_

"_Important?"_

"_Yeah," Rei sighed. "We're both so guarded, you know? It's like we can't really connect, not fully, not as we should be able to connect… If only she would talk to me, if only she…"_

_Ami watched her, and a frozen feeling made its way into her heart._

"_Rei…"_

"_I should go. Mina is leaving again tomorrow, you know. I'd like her to slow down sometimes, to say no to her managers and stay at home with me. But she never does. Never."_

"_Why don't you ask her to stay?"_

_With a poor smile, Rei shook her head._

"_I can't ask her to slow down on her career when she loves it so much. I spend a lot of my free time at the Shrine, you know? I suppose that, in a way, it bothers me that so many people admire her and gravitate around her, and that I can't do a thing to stop it. It scares me. I know that Minako is loyal and would never cheat on me, I'm sure of that, but I wish that I could be strong enough to tell everyone about our relationship. But I'm not, and I certainly don't want others interfering with my private life."_

"_Do you feel… unworthy of her?" _

_That idea seemed so preposterous to Ami, but in a way, it seemed awfully logical too._

"_We're not from the same worlds," Rei admitted quietly. "She's an international star and spends her time with idols, models, heirs and such, she's worshipped on a daily basis by everyone. She adores this life and thrives on the attention. She's worked and sacrificed a lot to be up there. And I don't care much about this business and I dislike this world. I don't want her to feel chained, you see? She needs the excitation and constant challenges, the madness of it all. It's what she loves, it's her way to feel part of the world, to help people, to feel useful. I love the quietness of my life and I love helping people by giving them advises, I love simple things."_

"_You think that it's the reason why you're drifting apart?"_

"_I think that we're as alike as we're different. And at times I think that we don't understand each other at all, as if we were not speaking the same language. The more we try to reach out to the other, the more we seem to drift apart. And it terrifies me."_


	8. The darkness in the woods

**Lineage**

_**The darkness in the woods**_

_**Six and a half years ago. Kyoto. Japan.**_

_Minako and Rei were walking on the street, enjoying some quiet time together, even if the two must trusted bodyguards of the idol were discreetly following them just in case. _

"_Hungry?" Minako asked, taking this excuse to put her hand on Rei's arm. _

_They were really cautious about their gestures. You never knew who could be watching. But Minako had more and more trouble with this comedy as the weeks passed. _

"_Not really. I'm thirsty though. And you?"_

"_Well, I wouldn't say no to –"_

"_It's an honor."_

_Minako turned her head to see an older woman looking at her, her eyes shining with wonder and reverence. In her feelings, Minako sensed immediately that this woman was not a fan. Not in that way. She tensed._

"_I've waited years to see you personally," the woman continued, half bowing before Minako._

_Rei stood near them, eyeing the stranger prudently. _

"_You shouldn't have," Minako said distantly. _

"_But we have waited your birth for so long!" she protested. "It's such a relief to know that the Day is coming."_

"_It isn't," the idol corrected, her tone a little colder that what she had intended. "You should live your life without waiting for anything, miss. Excuse-us, we have to go."_

"_You won't be able to forget who you are," the woman said, taking hold of Minako's hand._

"_Hey!" Rei protested. "Let her go!"_

_The idol almost winced when the contact enhanced her gift. She could feel in every cell of her being her aura reacting to the one of this woman, and it scared her._

"_I know who I am," Minako said __between her teeth to hide her turmoil. "Go home, and forget all that."_

_Minako tried to escape her hand, because this proximity was confusing her. Her mind seemed to have frozen, her thoughts were smothered by a strange mist, she felt the need to let go, to capitulate, to finally surrender to her very nature._

"_But you have to accomplish your destiny, you can't –"_

"_I asked you to let her go," Rei menaced coldly as she forcefully split Minako's and the stranger's hands. "Don't touch her."_

"_A problem, miss Aino?" asked one of the bodyguards as they arrived near them._

"_Miss, you should come with me," the other ordered the woman while not so gently pushing her away from his boss and her partner. _

_The stranger didn't struggle but turned her head toward Minako._

"_We're all waiting, your highness! All of us!"_

_Rei looked at the woman prudently as the man led her into another street. She nodded when the second bodyguard suggested that they returned to the hotel._

"_Mina? Are you alright?"_

_Minako nodded absentmindedly and frowned before lowering her eyes on her hand. A piece of paper had been left in it by the woman, with the name Rina on it followed by numbers._

"_She left you her phone number?" Rei asked incredulously._

"_Apparently," Minako nodded quietly._

"_And what about that gibberish? She called you her highness, I know that your fans are devoted, but that's a little crazy."_

"_Yeah, they get crazier every year, huh?"_

"_Are you sure you're fine? You look a little shaken."_

"_I'm fine. I'm hungry, that's all."_

_Rei didn't look convinced but Minako slipped the piece of paper into her pocket and smiled at her._

"_Come on, I want us to go back to our suite, people are beginning to stare."_

_Rei didn't know it then, neither did M__inako, but this event that would preoccupy the idol for months would mark the beginning of the end for their couple, its consequences making all of the flaws of their relationship resurface._

_

* * *

_

_**Six years ago. Tokyo. Japan.**_

"_You look tired," Minako noted while sitting down next to her partner on the couch of their flat._

_Rei nodded and yawned while keeping exhausted eyes on the TV. Minako put a pillow against her leg and patted it, encouraging Rei to lie down, which she did immediately. The idol smiled tenderly and caressed her girlfriend's hair and forehead with the tip of her fingers as she __switched channels. Sometimes, she would gaze down at her dozing partner and watched her with wonder and love, barely tainted with worry for their future. She was nevertheless far more interested with the peaceful and beautiful face of her lover than with the TV drama._

"_I like it," Rei whispered suddenly, maybe because she had felt Minako's warm eyes on her._

"_What?" Minako asked softly._

"_The name of that character. Airi. I like it."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah," Rei exhaled while falling asleep again. "Airi. It sounds luminous. Sunny. I think it's lovely. Don't you?"_

"_I suppose, yes," Minako said, not really thinking about the name._

_She was more amused with Rei's tendency to voice the thoughts that were flying around in her mind when she was falling asleep like that. It was adorable._

* * *

"I need to eat," Makoto mumbled as the two women went downstairs early that morning.

Rei smiled.

"Baby needs energy, huh?"

"I'll be fat before the birth at this rate."

Her friend laughed and shook her head.

"Don't worry, you're fine."

"Hmm. Look like we're the first up today."

Rei went to the French windows and opened it.

"Not really."

Makoto went outside and smiled upon seeing Minako and her daughter playing in the swimming pool. Airi had a blue _Lilo and Stitch_ swimming suit on and was looking a little frightened as she was perched on a little yellow inflatable boat. Minako, in a purple bikini, was encouraging her daughter to come in her arms and into the water. After a little while and Minako's promises that she would not let go of her or splash her, Airi nodded and let her mother take her in her arms. Minako moved around in the water with her tensed child hooked on her neck as they talked, their voices not loud enough for Rei and Makoto to understand the words. A few minutes later, Airi being reassured, mother and daughter were enjoying themselves and laughing.

Makoto glanced sideways at Rei and smirked.

"Enjoying the view?"

"What?"

Makoto giggled at her dazed state and pointed at the wet, tanned and sexy body of Minako.

"You like what you see?"

Rei turned and went inside.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You were almost drooling, Hino!"

"You're delusional, must be the hormones."

Makoto sat down at the kitchen table and smiled.

"It's been a while since Keiko."

"I really don't want to think about her," Rei answered, venom hiding in her voice.

Her friend nodded.

"Understandable. You do know that I would hit her for you, right?"

A little smile appeared on Rei's face.

"Right," she said. "But it'll be difficult, with her being in the U.S. and all."

"Good riddance."

"Someone I know?" Minako asked while entering with a wet Airi in her arms, both wearing a bathrobe.

"Only Rei's ex girlfriend. Not you, another one."

Minako put Airi on a chair. Makoto smiled secretly upon seeing worry and curiosity into her hazel eyes.

"What did she do?" she asked.

Makoto began to answer but Rei was faster.

"It's nothing, it's in the past. Tea?"

"Coffee," Minako corrected as she began preparing Airi's chocolate.

By the time they all sat down to eat, Nephrite and the Chiba had joined them.

"Do you like swimming, Airi?" asked Mamoru while smiling at the quiet girl.

Airi blushed and lowered her eyes on the chocolate she had spilled earlier.

"I don't really know how to," she whispered, almost shamefully.

Minako, who had been cleaning after her clumsy child, smiled warmly and kissed her daughter's hair.

"But she's learning fast," she assured.

Airi perked up and smiled a little as Minako winked at her.

A little while later, Airi, Makoto and Minako were the only ones left in the kitchen. Airi kept throwing glances at the pregnant woman. Finally she pointed at Makoto's stomach, frowning, and asked quietly:

"When will it come out?"

"In three and a half months," Makoto smiled.

"Only one baby?"

"Oh Kami, yes, only one. And it will be enough."

"Twins are cool. They have super powers, you know. Like the Sailor Senshi!"

Makoto saw Minako shook her head and smile a little as she was putting things away.

"You like the Sailor Senshi, huh?"

Airi nodded.

"Of course. They're heroines. I like Sailor V, too. She's great. I've seen them on TV, and I love the cartoon too. They've destroyed all the monsters so there's no monster anymore, you know. Mommy says that it's because of that that they've disappeared, because they had finished their job. I wish they would reappear so I can see them, because I wasn't born when they were there, you know."

Makoto had never heard her talk this long on something before, and she laughed.

"Yes, I know. They were pretty great, huh? Which one is your favorite?"

"I don't know. I love Sailor V because she's different and she can save the day all alone. And Sailor Mars because she can control fire and Sailor Jupiter because she is awesome."

"Really?" Makoto asked, highly pleased. "And what do you think about the others?"

"I don't really like Sailor Moon because she doesn't seem as strong, and Sailor Mercury is fine, I love her outfit, but I prefer the others."

"And what about Sailor Venus?"

Airi scrunched her nose.

"I don't know. She's strong, and her fuku is pretty, and her powers are cool, and she seems beautiful, but she's… Don't you think she seems too snooty?"

Makoto couldn't help but laugh, and she could see that the opinion of her daughter amused Minako to no end.

"You know," Makoto began once she had calmed down, "Venus kind of reminds me of your mom."

Airi frowned.

"Mommy is prettier and way cooler than Sailor Venus and the other Senshi. She could beat down monsters anytime."

"Ow, I love you!"

"Mommy, put me down!" Airi whined while struggling against the hug her mother gave her suddenly. "Mommy!"

"Ok, ok!" Minako smiled while putting her on her feet. "There."

They heard Berger barked and Airi grinned.

"I'm going to go play with him and Temis!"

"Wait, you have to go get dress before – Airi!"

Airi smiled and waved while she ran toward the stairs.

"I know!"

* * *

"What are the news?"

"_They're close. They know you're in Japan and they know approximat__ely where. With all respect, I think that you should disappear quickly."_

"I will," Minako promised. "Thank you for your help, we stay in contact."

She hung up and sighed quietly. She just hoped that the others would leave soon. Minako wanted to leave the country as soon as possible.

She already knew where she would go, and somewhere in her mind, she knew that if it all went well, she would not come back in her native country for a while.

If at all.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rei asked as she went into Airi's room.

The little girl was under her bed. She glanced at Rei and stayed where she was.

"I'm hiding from the pixies."

"The pixies?" Rei said as she sat down on the carpet near the bed. "I thought pixies were nice."

"No, not them," Airi whispered. "They want to eat my brain."

Rei grimaced.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"I saw it on TV, in documentaries."

"With pixies?"

"No, with insects. But pixies are more intelligent, that's why they're dangerous."

"Ah. Could you… could you come here, please? I promise there's no pixie here. And if they come, I'll protect you."

Airi looked at her and frowned.

"You would? You don't seem dangerous."

"Oh, but it's why I'm so dangerous, you see."

"How dangerous?"

"As dangerous as… Sailor Mars."

Intrigued, Airi crawled from under her bed and sat cross-legged in front of Rei.

"Sailor Mars? Do you like her?"

"Well, a little. Is Temis okay?"

Airi looked at her plush cat and nodded after hugging it more tightly against her chest.

"He's fine. Mommy likes Sailor Mars too."

"Really?"

"She's her favorite. She says that Sailor Mars is beautiful, very brave, kind and strong. And she says that she's too stubborn and dense, but I don't see how she could know that just by seeing her on TV," Airi said, frowning.

Rei, amused and touched, smiled.

"She says that, huh?"

"Yep."

"Why are you there all alone?"

"Berger didn't want to play with me, and Uncle Atis is somewhere with Luna and mommy."

Seeing how Airi seemed upset suddenly, Rei nodded.

"It bothers you that your mom is occupied with the others?"

"Usually she spends more time with me. But I understand because Atis and her are really best friends and they don't see each other a lot. And mommy doesn't see you and the others often too, I guess. But I prefer when she's with me."

Innocent jealously was seeping from her tone, and Rei found that reassuring. Spoiled as she was, Airi couldn't help but have a little brat trait under her adorable shyness. Minako had to scold her once or twice in the last two days of course, but her daughter was all in all well mannered.

"Well, if you want, I could play with you a little."

Airi seemed to hesitate, but she nodded finally and went to sit down on her bed, inviting Rei to do the same. She took a CD on her nightstand and showed it to her.

"It's one of mommy's."

"I know. I've listened to all of them a few times."

"She's great, isn't she?" Airi asked while looking at a smiling younger form of her mother on the CD.

Rei smiled tenderly.

"You really look up to her, huh?"

"She can do everything," Airi explained with pride. "She knows how to do so many things, she can sing, dance, act, play volleyball and football, she can ski and skate and run fast and swim and do acrobatics and drive a moto cross, she knows how to draw and paint and play guitar and piano and ping-pong, and she's the best at video games, and she's nice and funny and intelligent and very pretty. Everybody loves her on TV, I know because I like watching programs where they talk about her and her career. And she has a lot of fans."

"I know."

"She's perfect," Airi said quietly.

Rei frowned.

"She's not perfect, you know," she said gently, feeling the awkwardness in the child. "There are a few things she can't do, I know that for a fact. She can't cook very well. She hates loosing. She can be arrogant and bad tempered. She had bad grades in school. She's clumsy even if she knows how to hide it. She isn't very good at playing basketball and she hates cleaning. She doesn't know how to sew, she's bad at calligraphy and she's impatient. She's loud sometimes and she's scared of spiders and she hates storms."

"Really?" Airi asked, surprised. "I didn't know she was scared of that."

"Really," Rei assured with a smile. "Once, she stayed locked in the bathroom for hours because a tiny little spider was on the door."

"That's silly."

"Yes," Rei confirmed, while smiling as she relived the cute memory. "But your mom can be silly sometimes."

"She didn't tell me that she was scared of storms and spiders. But she always forbids me to bring her my bugs when I find interesting ones."

"She doesn't like being scared, and she doesn't want people to know that she can be afraid."

"She's special."

Rei looked at Airi who was thoughtfully watching the CD. She frowned.

"Airi, you're special too, you know."

Airi hesitated.

"I'm different."

"Of course you are, and it's not a bad thing."

"I'm not good at many things. I know I'm weird."

"Why?"

"I think mommy like it. But I know I'm not really like other children. Sometimes we go to the park and mommy disguises herself and I try to play with others, but I'm not like them, not exactly. There's my gift, and there's other things too. And… when it's just mommy and me, it's fine, but when there are others, I feel different."

"You know, a lot of people feel different. You're not used to see people and other children, right? And maybe you have different interests, yes, but it does not mean that it's wrong."

"I redden all the time when I'm around others, and I don't like it. Mommy never does that. Mommy is always at ease and calm."

"Airi, you're shy, that's all. A lot of people are shy, adults like your mom and me and even older than us are shy and blush sometimes. You're not the only one who gets nervous under others' gazes. You'll learn and maybe you'll grow out of it, and even if you don't, you shouldn't feel bad about it. And I know your mother isn't as calm as she seems sometimes. You know, sometimes, she's nervous around others, like you, but she knows how to hide it."

"I will never be as strong as her."

"Airi, nobody asks you to be like your mother."

"I'm her daughter."

"You're yourself. You don't need to be good at what she's good at, and you need to do what you want and like to do. Your mom will love you no matter what, don't you know that?"

"Yes, I know she loves me," Airi whispered, her head lowered. "But…"

"The opinions that matter are the ones of the persons that love you. You're a lovely young girl, interesting, bright and funny."

"I'm not really pretty like her."

"You're very pretty. You have her smile, her eyes. But you're different too."

"I'm chubby."

"You're young, and if it really bothers you, you could still do sports and loose weight when you're older."

"The doctor said it's because I love chocolate and sugar too much, and he asked mommy not to give me everyday, but mommy says that she doesn't give me too much and that it must be in my genes. Mommy eats a lot and she stays beautiful."

"She stays thin because she's lucky, she's beautiful because you find her beautiful. Beauty isn't a matter of weight, but of point of view. You find Berger cute, don't you? Personally, I find him scary. And I find you pretty, you can feel that I'm telling the truth, can't you?"

Airi smiled a little and nodded shyly.

"You're really beautiful too," she whispered. "More than the models on revues."

Rei grimaced.

"Thank you, but I don't like modeling. If you want my idea on the subject, only crazy people like your mother want to have that kind of life."

"I think that too," Airi confessed quietly. "Rei…"

"What?"

"Mommy and you you were in love, right?"

"Right," Rei said hesitantly.

As she had read her thoughts, Airi shrugged.

"Mommy already explained to me that two men or two women can love each other sometimes. Mommy can love a man or a woman, but I find it weird. Anyway, why didn't you stay with mommy?"

"It's complicated."

"I asked Atis about you two. He said you lived together for two years. He said you're the only person mommy ever really loved. Why did you two break up?"

"It's complicated, Airi."

"Do you regret it?"

Rei looked into her sad and curious hazel eyes, and she shook her head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if it didn't happen, you wouldn't be here."

"Airi! Didn't you hear me? I've been calling you!" Minako sighed as she went into the room.

"Sorry."

"Berger is outside, you wanted to be the one to force him to do some exercises."

"Yes! I'm going!"

Airi jumped from the bed and ran outside of her room. Minako looked at Rei who stood up.

"You didn't sleep much," Rei noted quietly.

She could see it in Minako's eyes, and she knew that Minako had been the last one to go to sleep and the first up.

"It's okay. I'll sleep later."

"Mamoru said you were already packing a few things."

"We're going to take only the necessaries, the rest will be brought later to our new place."

Rei nodded, thinking of the Bag, and wondering how many times Minako had done that before.

"Have you chosen your destination yet?"

"Yes."

"You won't tell me."

"No," Minako answered quietly.

"Why?"

"Because they could ask you. And they could know."

"Are they that dangerous?"

"Some are. Not all of them. If it weren't for Airi, and if there weren't some other problems I have to worry about, I would have confronted them years ago. But I can't."

Rei nodded.

"You should talk to Airi."

"Why?" Minako asked, as she took a few steps toward Rei, worried.

"I think that she feels like she has to follow in your steps, and she feels inferior because of it."

Minako's face fell.

"Yes, I know," she sighed. "I noticed it. I try to encourage her to be herself and not to care about what others' think, but… I must have done something wrong."

"No," Rei said warmly. "Don't think that. You didn't put any pressure on her, unconsciously or not, if that's what scares you. I rather think that it's because she adores you that she thinks that she should be loved by everyone, she fears that if it's not the case you'll suffer from it."

Minako shook her head.

"Imagine what growing up under the public eye would do to her, then."

"She's young, I'm sure that she'll understand that she's special in her own way and that she doesn't have to be just like you."

"I hope."

"Hey, she'll be just fine," Rei assured her, realizing too late that she was reaching for Minako's hand.

She felt a shiver run up her spine as Minako accepted the gesture, the spark of worry disappearing from her eyes and being replaced by something different.

"I'm scared for her," Minako confessed, her voice soft. "I just…"

"I know." Rei let her thumb run on the skin of Minako's hand. She guessed that Minako had never shared the fear that had surely gripped her heart and mind these last years about Airi's upbringing. "You did well."

"If only…"

Her voice quieted down, as if she had realized what she was going to say. Rei frowned.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that it would have been easier if things weren't so complicated."

"It could be simpler," Rei whispered. She took a breath and raised her eyes toward Minako's. "I could help you."

The fear was back in the hazel eyes. Rei understood that somehow Minako was trying to resist that powerful link between them, and she was far better at it than Rei had been. Or rather, Rei hadn't really tried to stay away from the idol. She had missed her, and the simple thought that she could loose her was making her heart clench with anguish. But how could you loose someone that you had already lost years ago?

"You don't know what…"

Once again, Minako couldn't finish.

The trembling whisper did nothing to appease the emotions swirling inside of Rei's mind. She took a step closer, leaving only a millimeter between their bodies. She realized too late that she had led them on a dangerous territory, as she felt Minako's soft breath on her lips, as she could study every color shades in her beautiful eyes, as she could feel her natural perfume and loose herself into those delicious feelings of love and desire and all the things in between.

"Then, tell me," Rei breathed, almost surprised by her self control.

Minako was looking at her with big eyes full of feelings that mirrored Rei's. She seemed worried, and Rei guessed that she was scared of her own emotions. Something was creating that border between them, that border that Minako was trying very hard not to cross. If only…

"Don't look at me like that, Rei."

"What?"

The hand in Rei's own was lightly trembling. On a whim, scared that Minako would leave and broke that moment that Rei had dreamed about for years, she put her other hand on the idol's hip, then back, unconsciously bringing their bodies against each other.

"Please, Reiko."

Rei wasn't sure she understood what the idol wanted her to stop, but hearing that surname on these lips again was proof enough for her. If only she could feel Minako's warm aura, she would know what was really happening there, and maybe would feel something coming from their near future that would help her choose what to do.

Her aura…

She let go of Minako's hand and felt the woman tense as Rei's fingers went to the idol's throat. Rei couldn't resist and let the tip of her fingers lightly caress the soft skin there, until they found the thin white lace. She took it and pulled slowly until the amber was placed over Minako's shirt, just above her breasts, and as her fingers brushed against the stone Rei could feel the power pulsing inside of it.

Minako didn't move, but the tension inside of her body was evident. When Rei looked into her eyes interrogatively, the idol took her hand inside of hers, laced their fingers together and lowered her eyes on them.

"You should stop asking questions," she whispered.

"Why?" Rei asked, the hand that had been on Minako's back coming to play with the idol's soft hair.

Minako closed her eyes, her breath lightly catching into her throat.

"Reiko…"

The hoarse tone of her voice made Rei's thoughts derailed momentarily, before she forced herself to stay focused on something other than her hormones.

"We can't keep going on like that, Mina. We can't."

"You shouldn't have come."

"But I'm here."

"Please."

"What?"

Suddenly, Minako's lips were on Rei's, and the former miko froze with stupefaction. It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening, and the probing of these familiar, warm and soft lips against her own finally made her react. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the tender kiss, and couldn't help but quietly moan when Minako pressed herself against her as her tongue slipped inside of her mouth.

Rei couldn't believe what was happening. She had thought that it would never happen again, but being in the presence of Minako was too much, and apparently she wasn't the only one incapable of controlling her feelings, of ignoring the impressive bond that linked them so strongly together.

She suddenly realized that, no matter what, she wanted to stay with this woman in her arms, to love her, to protect her, to shield her from the whole world, to spend every moment of her life with her. It was almost frightening, that need, that desire.

But she had never felt more alive in these last five years than at this instant.

Wait. Something… something cold and dark seemed to make its way into her mind, into her soul. She struggled against this sensation, preferring the delicious ones linked to the kiss, but her sixth sense was having none of it. Finally she surrendered and stopped the kisses, trying to regain control over her mind and body.

"Something is happening," she whispered breathlessly when Minako looked at her, confused. "Something is wrong."

Minako tensed immediately, and her eyes widened when they heard the faint cries coming from outside.

"_Mommy! MOMMY!"_

The two women were out of the room and running downstairs and toward the garden even before they even consciously understood the call.

Once outside, they saw the others surrounding Airi who ran immediately toward her mother, crying and panicking.

"Mommy!" she sobbed.

Minako hugged her.

"What happened? What is it, Ai?"

"M – mommy! I tried to stop him, b – but…"

"Shh, calm down, calm down, sweetie."

"Berger! Berger is in the woods! Mommy, he's in the woods!"

"What?" Minako breathed, suddenly very pale.

She stood up and looked toward the woods as Artemis and Luna tried to sooth Airi.

"Airi, you stay here with the others."

"Mommy!"

"Minako, what are you doing?! Minako!"

But the idol didn't listen to Rei and ran as fast as she could before disappearing into the dark woods, passing into the opening where the ancient wall had been broken. When Mamoru began to go after her, Rei stopped him.

"No. It's too dangerous. We don't know what effect these woods could have on us."

"And Minako?"

Rei sighed.

"We have to believe that she knows what she's doing."

As Makoto and the cats took care of Airi and led her inside, Nephrite shook his head.

"She should have let the dog there. Really."

"Berger…" Rei whispered, her eyes widening, just as a powerful and warm feeling made its way inside of her soul. She knew this power, this aura. "Venus…"

How could Minako's aura be suddenly this strong?

"She dropped that on the grass," Usagi said as she gave Rei the object.

It was the necklace with Venus' stone on it. Still, it didn't explain how Minako's spiritual presence could be this powerful without transforming.

"Could you stay here and see if she comes back?"

Her three friends nodded worriedly as they watched anxiously the wood that seemed so somber under the warm summer sun.

Rei went inside and knelt down before Airi.

"Hey, Airi, can I ask you something?"

The little girl sniffed and nodded.

"Where did your mommy find Berger?"

"It was a few days after we moved in here. She found him in the woods and he was almost dead, but mommy and the doctor for the dogs helped him."

Rei's eyes met the anxious ones of Makoto. It was what she had feared.

"Something in the woods viciously attacked the dog? But if Minako already went into these woods and came back, she surely can do it again," Makoto whispered to Rei. "Right?"

Rei's fingers closed tightly around Venus' stone as she nodded.

"Right."

She wasn't so sure, and she knew that going after Minako without knowing what they would encounter was too dangerous.

* * *

Minako ran inside of the woods. She knew that she couldn't believe her senses in there, she could be near the manor as she could be miles from it.

It was very dark, and cold. The warming rays of the sun couldn't pass the malevolent presence that was inhabiting the forest.

A wave of nausea hit her, but Minako struggled to stay on her feet. It had been way too long since she had removed the necklace for the last time, and the too sudden return of her gifts was taking its toll on her body. She could feel every once of her being tingling with her power and she had trouble controlling her empathy and the energy that was intensifying inside of her.

She had to be quick, she knew that every second meant another chance to be located by Dan and the others.

"Berger! Berger!"

She knew that he was near, she could feel him. Leaving without him was out of the question. He was her dog, she had saved him, nursed him, she loved him, Airi loved him. He was a third of their family. She needed his presence, she couldn't bear to loose him, not in this life where she had so little.

"Berger!"

The primal spirits attacked her again, she could feel them encircling her, crawling over her aura. The pain was almost unbearable, it was physical and spiritual, it was terrible. She intensified her aura, saw the luminous sphere enveloping her and narrowed her eyes.

She knew that she didn't have the time to play. Her baby needed her, she could feel her fear and panic from there. She could feel all of them, all of their feelings, and because she was not used to the force of her gifts anymore every one of their emotion was like a violent cut in her mind. It was torture.

The dark wasn't helping. She needed light to feel well, she needed light when her powers were all over the place like that. And she was so damn cold…

"Berger?"

She could see him. She ran awkwardly toward him, already weak and not seeing clearly. Her foot met a root and she fell violently. Coughing, she wasted no time and jumped back to her feet, raising a hand when she felt the presence near her. The _Crescent Beam_ dissolved it easily enough.

Even primal spirits knew better than to resist a Sailor Senshi.

Sighing, trying to clear her mind of any pain or fear, Minako concentrated and directed all her energy into her aura to protect her from the cold presence. Then she went to the unconscious dog, took him in her arms and tried to guess where the manor was supposed to be.

It was then that she felt it.

The pain became unbearable. She whimpered and staggered, she couldn't see anything. Fainting was out of the question, because she knew that she would never wake up again.

"Too bad," she whispered, feeling blood coming from her nose.

She closed her eyes and felt the warm power of Venus enveloping her. Light came from her hand and even if part of it was being hidden because of Berger in her arms at least she could see where she was going.

Using her Senshi speed and strength, she ran and jumped on a tree branch, guessing that jumping from trees to trees would be faster and less dangerous than trying to walk on the ground.

They were trying to stop her from leaving.

She felt weak, her body still trying to adjust to the violent surge of the powers that the stone had put to sleep for so long. Pain seemed to be inside of her blood, inside of her mind, aura and soul, she could feel burning tears on her cheeks.

Worse, she could feel Berger slowly die in her arms.

The manor wasn't far. But the relief didn't last, for the primal force had finally chosen to risk attacking her despite of her nature. She had to stop on a branch, almost falling from the tree as the dark and cold spiritual claws closed mercilessly around her heart.

Her consciousness was disappearing, and she felt at the edge of her mind the vicious pleasure they would take in putting her frail human body to pieces.

It was as if she was outside of her body. All was dark, empty. But an image came to her.

Berger, mutilated and pitifully whimpering as she had found him near the stone wall behind the fountain months ago.

Anger was in her mind.

Airi, crying for her, her young and still disordered feelings trying to find solace.

Her anger intensified.

She fought against the cold clutches, but it wasn't enough.

And suddenly, there was warmness inside of her. Something powerful, ancient, burning and unbelievably soothing. Venus recognized it immediately.

It was Mars.

Mars was trying to contact her, to reach out to her. Minako didn't think, she just caught that spiritual hand and immediately felt herself getting stronger.

Opening her eyes, she used the momentary stupefaction of the primal force to free herself. And in a last effort, she materialized her chain of energy and metal and used it as a liana to exit these hellish woods.

* * *

Rei and the others saw a few flashes of light coming from the woods.

"Impossible," Mamoru whispered. "It's…"

"It feels like Venus' powers," noticed his confused wife.

Just as Rei was almost exploding with worry, having tried to sense what was happening only to feel a dark and dangerous presence enveloping Minako, she saw the form of the idol literally fly out of the woods, over the wall before falling violently on the ground near the swings, her chain disappearing.

As they ran to her they saw her standing up, her whole body trembling, an unmoving Berger behind her. Minako hesitantly took a few steps, visibly weak and confused, before she suddenly bent down to throw up violently.

She was unconscious even before they reached her.

* * *

"You have to do something!"

"_Ok, but why don't you go warn them yourself?"_

"I think I'm being followed since I left Dan's suite, that's why!" the woman answered anxiously. "I'm suspected!"

"_Ok, I'm going."_

"Be careful, Hayao. If they're suspecting me, you may be watched too."

"_You should warn Naoki. He's not one of ours, they surely don't know about him. Where are Furuhata and Mizuno?"_

"I think Axel said that they were having lunch together today. It's okay, his team doesn't keep an eye on them anymore."

"_I'll warn them."_

* * *

Ami and Motoki had decided to have lunch together again, this time at the Furuhata's since both of them had exceptionally a two hours break.

They were preparing the dessert when someone knocked rather strongly on the door.

"Coming!"

The visitor didn't stop. Motoki frowned and went toward the door, shaking his head.

"Ok, ok, already!"

His eyes widened with horror when a body fell into his arms as he opened the door.

"Ami!"

The woman closed the door and knelt down beside the man.

"He was shot. One bullet to the chest."

Motoki paled upon seeing the blood as the stranger took a weak hold of Ami's wrist when she tried to examine him.

"You… you have to warn her…"

"Who are you?"

"You have to… warn… They know. They've found her… the princess…"

"The princess?" Ami asked, tensing.

"Dan… Dan will never let her be… You have… to… the princess…"

"Mister? Mister? He's dead."

"What?" Motoki squeaked. "What the hell?! I thought that these Senshi things were in the past!"

Ami stood up, frowning.

"They are," she said quietly. "It's something else."

"Why are they looking for Usagi?"

"I don't think Usagi is the princess they're looking for," Ami said, worried. "You have your car?"

"Of course!"

"We're leaving."

"What? And the… him, we leave him in our living room?! And where are we going?!"

"Minako's. I think I just understood a lot of things."

"What?"

"And I think I know why Artemis and Luna were wrong about Makoto and her gifts."

"Wait… you mean that the people who killed this poor man are presently on their way to Minako's and the others?"

"I can't reach them," Ami said anxiously as she closed her phone. "It's like the lines are disturbed."

Motoki nodded and took his car keys.

"We're leaving."


	9. Stones and promises

**Lineage**

_**Stones and promises**_

_**Eleven years ago. Tokyo**__**, Japan.**_

_Minako was humming quietly as she prepared for bed. She brushed her hair, loo__king at Artemis in the mirror. The white cat lazily raised his head as he answered her question:_

"_I don't know," he said at the fifteen year old girl. He stretched on the bed and yawned. "But I'm exhausted."_

"_Come on, we had worse weeks. After all, we don't have to go train and play vigilantes on the roofs of the city anymore!" she laughed, amused._

_She stood up and removed her earrings before putting them into her jewelry box. Upon seeing something unusual, she frowned._

"_Artemis…" she called quietly._

_Tensed, the cat came to her and jumped onto the chair. Minako took the little stone into her hand and held it prudently, shocked._

"_It's…"_

"_Venus' stone?" Artemis completed, dumbfounded. "What is it doing here?"_

"_It's been months since my last transformation, before my…" She quieted down and frowned. "It shouldn't be here. How did that happen?"_

"_I don't know. It seems that it appeared from nowhere. It never happened before, during your past life. The Royal Stones of the Planets only appear on the chosen Senshi when they're transformed, giving them access to their hidden abilities."_

"_I'm not a Guardian anymore. Of course I still have my gifts, and they seem stronger than before, but…"_

"_I'm calling Luna."_

"_Are you sure it's safe?"_

"_I won't tell her what's happening."_

_As Artemis went toward his communicator, Minako looked at the magical amber cradled into her palm. The stone was warm, its familiar power calling to her. Its contact against her skin was soothing, her soul seemed to react to its presence. She felt better suddenly, calmer, stronger._

"_Luna said that nothing unusual happened. If the girls had their stone restored these last days, she would have known."_

_Minako frowned._

"_Why me? Why only me?"_

"_I don't know," Artemis confessed. "I don't understand either. Try and transform."_

_She tried. But nothing happened. _

"_Strange," he stated quietly._

"_I felt something. It was the same feeling than during my transformation. But… it was like it passed over me and caressed my aura without changing my appearance."_

"_Without the princess' crystal the transformation may be impossible. You say your gifts are stronger?"_

_Minako nodded worriedly._

"_Yeah. My empathy, my reflexes, my sensibility to auras and light, even metal, Artemis. All seem enhanced somehow, I've noticed it these last weeks."_

"_You mean that they're more developed since your rebirth?"_

"_I mean that they got stronger, and… that they're still getting stronger, somehow."_

"_I don't understand. I know that when you were a Senshi your sickness and the fact that you had trouble awakening your powers blocked a part of your potential but… Maybe it's just an aftermath. Yes, that's a possibility. But I don't understand why the stone appears now."_

"_It's possible that it's been__ there since Usagi restored the world," Minako said. "We were in Europe for the past three weeks, and even before that I never used the box."_

"_It would have come back with you? Possible. But how? And why?"_

_Minako looked at the stone thoughtfully. A worrying feeling made its way into her heart, as she remembered lessons from the past, as her aura seemed to intensify, as the voice of her late mother danced into her mind._

_Rule number one…_

"_Mina, an idea?"_

"_No," she whispered quietly. "No. I'm just tired."_

_Her fingers closed around the stone, and instinctively she knew that the lie she had just told her best friend would only be the first one of a long series._

_

* * *

_

_**Eight years ago. London, England.**_

_The young woman was looking at the sky from the rooftop of her hotel. Her career was reaching heights she had never dreamed about until last year, when her last album had established a record never seen for a young Japanese artist. _

_She was happy in this aspect. But she knew that all of that could disappear, she knew that all she had won and built these last years could be swept away by something that wasn't in her hands. _

_Something she was born with, born into, born to do._

_It scared her, because sometimes she wasn't even sure of who she was anymore. _

_She looked down and saw the street far below. An ironical smile made its way onto her face, because she knew that if she jumped from the rooftop, she wouldn't even die. She could land on her feet on a balcony floors from there and not feel pain from it. She could let herself fall and at the last minute call on her chain of metal and light and use it to stop her fall, making it wrap itself on a rail or something. _

_She could do that, and so much more. Every day she felt stronger, quicker, more powerful. _

_And every day she felt the pull getting harder to resist. _

_She was scared that one day, she would find herself surrendering to it._

"_Ah, you're there," Artemis said joyfully as he came toward her. "I'm hungry. Can we go?"_

"_Artemis…" she called softly, and her tone of voice immediately warned him._

"_What?" he asked seriously, solemnly._

"_Could you promise me something?"_

"_What?"_

"_If one day I ask you to stay away from me, or to do something for me, like letting me go, leaving me alone, I'd like you to do it. Can you promise me that?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Artemis, please. It's important for me. I'm fine, it's just something that I dreamed about last night and that keeps playing in my head. Promise me. Please."_

"_I'm not sure… Don't you want to talk about it?"_

"_No. It's rather personal, you see. I… need you to do this for me. I'm asking you to make an important promise to me, to take an oath, and I know it's something big. But… I need to hear it."_

_Artemis hesitated, his green eyes into her hazel ones. He apparently couldn't find a good reason to refuse her, maybe because he could rarely tell her no to anything._

_Finally, after a last hesitation, h__e nodded._

"_I promise," he whispered into the night._

_The exchange took only a __few seconds, but it shaped their future._

_She smiled, and he didn't know it then, but he would regret these few seconds bitterly for the rest of his life._

_

* * *

_

"Minako! Minako, calm down!"

Mamoru tried again to restrain Minako. The woman was only half conscious, but in her panicking and feverish state her strength seemed to have greatly increased. She was pushing Mamoru and Usagi away from her as they tried to help and examine her.

Mamoru had carried the idol into her room a few minutes earlier, while Rei had to go to Airi's room to help Nephrite and Makoto to restrain and calm the little girl.

"Minako!" Usagi cried while keeping her distance from the frightened woman. She already had been hit a few times. "Minako, it's us! You have to calm down! Mamo wants to examine you to help you, that's all!"

"Minako!" Mamoru insisted as he tried once again to appease his friend. "Come on, it's-"

Minako's arm caught him in the stomach, and the man flied across the room and crashed violently on the opposite wall while Usagi emitted a little surprised shriek.

"Mamoru!"

She helped him and he stood up slowly, coughing.

"It's okay," he breathed. "I'm fine."

He looked at Minako who was moving slightly on her bed, moaning and shaking. Mamoru already knew that her fever was way too high.

"She seems in pain," Usagi whispered quietly.

"And we can't help her. We can't go near her."

Usagi's eyes widened.

"We need Rei."

She immediately went looking for the other woman.

* * *

Rei caught Minako's hand in hers before sitting down on the bed near the woman, trying to avoid being hit. At least, she seemed less violent with Rei than with the others, as if unconsciously she could feel who she was.

"Minako! Minako, calm down," Rei said, trying to keep her voice down. She put her hand against Minako's cheek as soon as she could, trying to sooth her. "It's Rei. Please, you have to calm down. Mamoru and Usa are there too, it's just us, it's okay. Please, Mina, listen to me."

Minako's body seemed to glow golden for a few seconds, it was faint, but Rei saw it, she felt it in her mind, in her heart. As if it had helped her realizing her situation, Minako calmed down a bit, she almost ceased to struggle against Rei's hands.

"R… Rei…"

"Yes, it's me. It's okay now. It's okay."

It took a few minutes, but Minako finally relaxed and breathed more calmly. Tears silently ran down her cheeks as Rei gently tucked her in, noting how cold the idol's hands were. Then she let her fingers trailed down Minako's face tenderly, frowning when she felt how clammy and warm the skin was. Minako whimpered slightly, her eyes closed forcefully.

"Mina?"

"It hurts…"

"Where?"

The idol didn't answer, too busy trying to calm her breathing down. Rei, keeping an hand on Minako's shoulder, turned her head toward Mamoru.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Be careful, she's… strong."

Rei frowned.

"Senshi strong?"

The young man nodded somberly.

"What the…" Rei whispered, looking at Minako, feeling her aura, remembering the light and the chain in the woods. "How…?"

Minako whimpered again, but her fever seemed to have dropped a little. Rei frowned, she could feel something wrong in the idol's aura, something dark that shouldn't be there. The primal thing sleeping in the woods must have done something to her magical energy.

"Reiko…"

"Shshsh," Rei soothed, before looking at the stone she still held.

She helped Minako to raise her head and put the necklace around her neck. The idol's aura immediately disappeared from Rei's perception, and Minako quieted down. She seemed to breathe more easily.

"Minako?"

"Ai?"

"She's fine. She's scared, but she's okay. Makoto, Artemis, Luna and Neph are with her, in her room."

When Mamoru came near the bed to examine Minako, the woman lightly shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said softly, her voice hoarse.

"Are you kidding?" Rei retorted.

"I just need a moment. I'm fine."

Minako's voice left no room for discussion.

"You should go see the others, they must be worried," Rei suggested, and her friends nodded before leaving them alone.

Rei stood up and went to the bathroom to get a glass of water. When she went back into the bedroom, Minako had kicked the covers away from her body. She looked pale and exhausted.

"Here."

Minako accepted the water and drank slowly before putting the glass away and laying back down. But a few seconds later her eyes suddenly opened and she tried to sit down again.

"What?" Rei asked, worried, as she put an hand on Minako's shoulder to force her to stay still.

"Berger! Is he…" Her voice shook, between fright and a sob. "How is Berger?!"

"He's okay! He's fine! He was unconscious but Mamoru said that he'll be fine after a little rest. He has some cuts on his legs, that's all. He's going to be okay, he's with Airi."

Minako relaxed with pure relief, and Rei smiled upon seeing how much this strange dog meant to her.

"You really love him, huh?" she whispered.

Minako glared at her.

"He's my dog!"

"Are you sure that you're fine?" Rei asked as Minako chased away her last tears.

"Yeah," the idol answered softly, her voice still shaky. "I was just… It's because of the woods. They destroy your thoughts and crush you from the inside and… But it's okay," she said, fingering Venus' stone. "I just need a moment, that's all."

"How is it possible for you to have this stone now?"

Minako tensed and didn't look at her, her eyelids half closed.

"I've had it for years. Luna and Artemis know. They don't explain it."

"And you? Can you explain it?" Rei knew she had put her finger on something. She knew Minako well enough to detect her way of phrasing things to hide others. The idol stayed silent. "You can, can't you?"

"It's –"

"They can't, but you can. Do they know?"

"They only know what they have to."

"What you want them to."

"It's not like that!" Minako snapped, raising her head before putting it down on the pillow quickly as she paled, nauseous. "Stop assuming things!"

"I'm only trying to understand!"

"Stop! Just stop."

"The stone. It blocks your gifts and hides your aura. You have no control without it."

Minako looked at her with exhaustion and weariness, a spark of irritation hidden in her eyes, and Rei felt like a scolded little child.

"You lived with me for almost two years, and I didn't have it with me all the time and I didn't drag it everywhere, did I?"

"No," Rei admitted, for she didn't remember having seen it before their break up.

"And I had control over my powers, didn't I? So stop assuming things, stop asking questions and stop trying to understand, because you don't, okay?"

"Why don't you… Hey, what are you doing? Don't!"

"I have to get up! We have to leave."

"Leave? You're not going anywhere! Stay still or you're going to be sick!"

"You don't understand, now that I did what I did, we have to leave! We have no time!"

Minako feared that whoever was after her could track her down because of her earlier actions, Rei knew. She raised her hand, trying to appease her.

"Okay, okay! But they can't teleport themselves, right? Right? We're virtually in the middle of nowhere, the only city near here is of no importance, it will take them hours to be there, okay? You can't go anywhere, you can't drive in your state, you couldn't even stand for more than two seconds without throwing up! You have to sleep a little before anything."

Minako seemed to think it out, and she finally nodded. Rei nearly sighed with relief. She had feared that their mysterious enemy could have means of teleportation or even private jets, but apparently, they were stuck with cars like any mortals. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

"Two hours."

"What?"

"If by some miracle I fall asleep, you'll wake me up in two hours. You have to promise me that."

"Okay," Rei nodded.

"Promise me, Rei."

"I promise."

Minako sighed, before turning, facing the wall away from Rei and closing her eyes. It was more than obvious that she was too worried, scared and all the things in between to relax enough to feel secure and sleep, and Rei knew she needed the rest more than anything. She could feel her exhaustion and what it was doing to her body and mind.

"You should let us help you," Rei softly said after a while.

"It doesn't concern any of you."

"I feel concerned."

Minako didn't answer to that, and Rei didn't know what to say anymore. And as she couldn't reach her verbally, she instinctively tried and reached her physically, her hand coming to rest against the idol's back gently. She felt Minako tense beneath her stilled fingers. They stayed like that for a while, Rei's thumb moving ever so slightly, and after what seemed like an eternity, Minako seemed to relax even despite herself.

Maybe it was Rei's presence or soothing gesture, maybe it was because Minako felt more secured with her near her, or maybe it was only the fever and exhaustion, but after a while, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

"I think Airi is angry at us," Makoto noted as she watched Rei prepare a tray for Minako.

"Hmm?"

"She was crying for Minako and wanted to go see her. We forbid her to do it, but she wouldn't stop and Nephrite lost patience with her, he raised his voice, it froze her."

"Where is she now?"

"In her room, with Berger. She was sleeping when I went to check on her."

"Ok."

"How is Minako?"

"I don't know, really. Exhausted, but she doesn't have a fever anymore."

"Really?"

"Yes, she seems well, besides the tiredness."

"But she was so sick…"

"Yes, I know."

"Things are really weird around here."

Rei sighed.

"Something tells me it's going to be even worse."

"Your sixth sense?"

"I feel uneasy since we came here. At first I thought it was because of Minako, you know…"

A soft and compassionate smile appeared on Makoto's face.

"Yes, I know."

"But it's something else. The woods are not the only explanation either. I think something is coming, an event that could change everything."

"Great," Makoto sighed. "And there I thought we could just enjoy ourselves for a change."

Rei eyed her checking her cell phone again and frowned as she put a few chocolate cookies on the tray, next to the tea.

"Something's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just that I tried reaching Motoki earlier a few times without success. And Neph couldn't reach Ami."

"You should try later, I'm sure that it's just something perturbing the lines."

"Yes. I'm going to see what Usagi and Luna are up to."

"Okay."

Rei finished putting everything on the tray and was about to go upstairs when she noted Airi quietly standing near the stairs, Berger next to her.

"Hey, little one. What are you doing?"

Her hazel eyes were red from crying, and she sniffed before looking at Temis in her hands.

"I'm waiting for Atis. He said to wait for him. He's going to watch a movie with me."

"That's good."

"I want to see mommy."

Rei smiled softly.

"She was sleeping until now, but I'm going to wake her up."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. You should take Berger with you, I'm sure she's going to be happy to see you both."

Airi's face brightened.

"But you said she needed to be totally okay for me to see her, because she wouldn't want me to see her sick."

"She's not sick anymore, and besides, I think you're a big girl, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. Is that for her?"

"Yes."

Airi grinned and quickly took something from her pocket. She then showed proudly to Rei what her hand held, a few little white and grey stones, three round and smooth and two strangely formed.

As Rei looked at them dumfounded and amused, Airi put her little treasure on the tray and took a step back. The woman watched the little stones, then the little girl.

"You know," she began prudently, "people usually offer things like flowers."

Airi frowned.

"But these stones are so pretty! Much more than flowers."

"Ah."

Rei sincerely didn't know what to add. Airi looked at herself and shook her head.

"I need to change before seeing her! Come on, Berger!"

Before the woman could say anything else, Airi was upstairs and into her room. She shook her head and went to Minako's bedroom. The woman still seemed to sleep peacefully.

"Minako? Mina?"

Rei put an hand on Minako's shoulder, finally waking her up.

"It's been two hours."

Minako nodded and sat down before she yawned.

"Thanks."

"I promised."

Minako looked at her and smiled.

"You did."

"Here. You should eat a little. It's two in the afternoon."

The idol took the tray and smiled as she played with the stones.

"I see that Airi helped you."

Rei chuckled.

"She's really a surprising kid."

"She's special," Minako smiled. "And a little weird. She's perfect."

"Yeah, she is," Rei whispered as Minako ate a little.

"We're going to leave. I have a friend who will permit us to travel in his private jet."

"When?"

"We'll live in an hour."

"Will you call?"

Minako put the tray away and went toward the window. She took a few seconds before turning toward Rei and shaking her head.

"I don't think so."

"Why?" Rei asked, and she couldn't totally hide her desperation.

"Because things would get too complicated."

"I don't understand."

The smile on Minako's face was sad and somberly amused at the same time.

"Of course you don't," she whispered, her eyes shining with regrets and yearning. "Some things haven't change."

Rei frowned, and it only seemed to amuse Minako, a strange light appearing in her eyes. Rei chose to ignore it.

"What if you have problems where you're going?"

"What? You would come and save me?" Minako asked, a smirk on her face, a flirting lilt in her voice.

"I don't want you or Airi to need saving," Rei said more strictly.

"We won't."

"I'm not sure that I should let you leave."

Minako went to Rei, stopping just in front of her, eyes alight with something burning, something old and worrying, something cold. She looked at her in the eyes and spoke with a voice full of warning.

"And you would stop me how?"

Rei didn't know why, she didn't understand it, but she felt in her very being the strength behind the words, behind the threat. She knew then, with frightening clarity, that she wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop Minako Aino from doing anything she'd want to do.

Not a single little thing.

Rei's chocolate gaze fell on Venus' stone which seemed to pulse with power somehow, and when she raised her eyes toward Minako's face, she could see the tension and slight fear in the hazel ones, the coldness leaving them.

"Without that necklace on, what would you be able to do exactly?"

Minako's neutral face didn't show anything, but something in her eyes shifted.

"I don't need help."

"You're lying. Your eyes are betraying you."

"I don't need help, and certainly not yours."

"You need help, why won't you take mine?"

"Because people die, Rei. Too many people lost their life because of all this madness these last years. And how many in all this time? How many people died because of faith? You are not involved in this. You can't even begin to imagine what all of this could mean. You can't get involved. I won't let you."

"Why? Because you're afraid of what could happen?"

"I won't let you be killed or be forced to live like a fugitive because of something that can't even be explained rationally! You are not involved in this, none of you are!"

"I'm the one to decide in what I involved myself in!"

"Not this time!"

"Why?!"

"Because you're not one of us!" Minako screamed, before controlling herself once more. Rei would like to see her letting go for once. "Let it go, Rei," the idol said quietly, looking suddenly exhausted. "It's too late anyway. Centuries too late."

Rei couldn't even say anything. She didn't understand. She couldn't understand. She tried to guess what it was about, but all of it seemed to be nonsense. It was crazy, and she couldn't help but wonder what Minako had gotten herself into.

But when the idol turned around to leave the room, Rei couldn't help but put herself between Minako and the door. She was stubborn, and she was worried. She looked into Minako's eyes with determination and stayed silent for a while, not knowing how she could tell her, not knowing if it was even appropriate after years of not seeing each other.

But when Minako didn't move, her eyes looking into Rei's ones as if she was waiting for something, for a sign, Rei took a step toward her. Minako seemed worried suddenly, but she stayed still, tensed, and the social worker saw for the second time a flash of something that almost broke her heart.

It was a terrible mix of fear, exhaustion, weariness, anger, loneliness, sadness, guiltiness. It was a horrible need for company, for safety, for truth. Something in Minako, hidden behind all those walls, wanted to reach out to Rei, wanted to tell her everything, wanted help and solace. Something in her was terribly fragile and was menacing of breaking completely. It terrified Rei, for she knew that if it was to happen, something terrible would take place.

Only, she didn't know what.

But what she was seeing in those eyes, that she understood.

It was a prayer. Hope in its purest form.

"I should have said it to you, when it wasn't too late," Rei whispered, regret in her voice. "I should have said so many things."

"What?" Minako asked, her voice fragile and so soft suddenly.

"I…" Rei struggled against herself. She felt nervous and lowered her eyes when she felt her cheeks burn. Despite of that, she took a little breath and quietly confessed: "I should have said how important you were to me."

She could feel Minako's eyes on her. The idol raised her right hand, her cold fingers brushing against Rei's reddening cheeks, resting softly on the skin of her jaw.

"You were important to me, too," she whispered, something warm and so tender in her tone. "You are."

When Rei hesitantly raised her eyes to hers, Minako let her arm drop at her side.

"But love is not enough," Minako whispered.

And she left the room.

* * *

When she entered Airi's bedroom, she found her daughter trying to do her hair. She smiled upon seeing her struggling with her little bunch. She went to her and gently took the hairbrush.

"Here. Let me help you, sweetie."

"Mom! You're awake! I'm happy to see you well!"

Minako frowned.

"Mom?" she repeated. "What happened to mommy?"

Airi raised her shin and looked at her with too much seriousness.

"I'm a big girl, and big girls don't call their mother mommy."

"What?" Minako said worriedly. "But I like mommy!"

"I like mom."

"But I want to stay mommy!" Minako complained. "At least for another year or so. I love being mommy! I want my baby to call me mommy!"

"You're whining," Airi noted, frowning disapprovingly.

"Of course I am! Come on, Airi, I'm your mommy!"

"You're capricious."

"Of course I am. And I won't give you chocolate anymore if you don't call me mommy."

"That's nasty," her daughter accused.

Minako couldn't help it. Her face fell, feeling like she was losing yet another thing this day. She was surprised when Airi put her little chubby hands against her cheeks to look at her in the eyes worriedly.

"It's okay," Airi whispered softly, reassuringly. "If you want and if it makes you happy, I'll keep calling you mommy, mommy."

The mother gave her a smile, and she hoped that the tears she was keeping inside of her chest couldn't be seen in her eyes. She hugged the child tightly and kissed her soft hair.

"You're the most beautiful and kind little girl of this universe, do you know that? You're the greatest achievement of my life, and I can't even say that it's thanks to me. You're just so special, Airi Chiyoko Aino."

"I love you too, mommy," Airi whispered before leaving a wet kiss on Minako's mouth and running toward the door.

"Where are you going? We have to pack, we're leaving soon, Ai."

"I know! I've already begun, look!" Minako looked at the bag her daughter was pointing at and raised an eyebrow, appreciative. "But Atis must be looking for me, and he will be so happy to see you well! And Berger wants to thank you because you saved him!"

She left, and Minako sighed before going to the bag and going through what was inside and what needed to be removed or added. Her hands were trembling slightly. She tried to stop it, but Rei's image kept floating before her eyes, her voice enveloping her in a warm feeling.

She couldn't believe that she was this weak. How could she have let Rei touch her heart and soul like that? How could she have let herself go to her, kiss her, touch her?

She couldn't control herself, nor could she control her body. The more she was near her, the more her love for Rei was overwhelming her. Her warm and shining eyes, her soft voice, her kindness, her stubbornness, her intelligence, her mysterious aura, her body and skin and hair and lips, her strength and her determination and even her annoying way of believing herself to always be the one who was right…

Minako was loosing against her feelings. She had fallen in love with Rei during her teenage years, and that love had grown in her adulthood. And despite the hurt and the distance, she still loved her with every fiber of her being.

She missed everything about her, even their fights and their disagreements, she missed the trust, the companionship, the teasing and flirting, the laughter, the routine, the long discussions at night and the games, the intimacy, the friendship, the knowledge that someone somewhere knew her, thought about her, wanted to protect her, loved her. That she could go to that someone and fall into their waiting arms and find solace and security.

How she wanted all those things again. How she wanted to explain everything to Rei and to have her help her, find a solution and make everything all right again. She wanted her to promise her that everything would end well, to whisper in her ears that it was okay to be scared and to feel lost and fragile.

That it was okay to cry and curse every deity she knew for all that was happening.

And she wanted to chase away these shadows that she could see in Rei's eyes, she wanted to heal her from whatever had happened these last years that could have hurt her, she wanted to protect her from everything.

And because of that, because Minako loved Rei sincerely and with all her soul, she couldn't be weak. She couldn't let herself kiss Rei senseless and ask her to come with her and her daughter.

Because she didn't want Rei to pay the price of something she didn't even know about.

Even the simple thought that she could be hurt or killed almost made Minako sick.

She would protect Rei. She had to. She owed it to her, that and so much more.

"Berger!" she squealed when she saw her dog limped its way toward her. She kneeled down and threw her arms around the dark pet as it licked her face. Hiding her face into its fur, she sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so glad that you're well, my friend. I love you, you know that?"

Berger barked once and she smiled. The dog seemed a little perturbed, but he always was like that, fragile and scared of everything. It was understandable, knowing what had happened to him.

"We're going to leave, are you ready? Yes you are. Good boy."

Minako stood up and swallowed down her tears again. She wondered when she had allowed herself to break down for the last time, and then pushed this thought far away into her mind.

She had more or less confessed to Rei that she was still in love with her, and that was already one weakness too many.

She took her phone and dialed, but once more, nobody answered her.

Something wasn't right.

If the woman couldn't answer her, it meant that she was incapable of doing so because she was suspected of something or because she was with Dan and the others.

Either way, it was no good news.

Far from it.

* * *

"Something is wrong," Nephrite said to the others.

Usagi, Mamoru, Luna, Makoto and Rei all looked at him expectantly from their seats in the living room. Even Artemis and Airi, near the kitchen, listened to him worriedly.

"What is it?" asked the other man.

"I finally could reach Ami. Motoki and her are on their way there. Someone went to Motoki's a few hours ago to warn them that somebody was coming there apparently. The guy's dead, someone shot him, certainly to try to stop him."

"He was killed?" Usagi whispered, eyes wide with shock and sadness.

"Ami said that she thought she had been watched for a while by the ones that did it."

"What the hell is happening?" Makoto asked. "Is Motoki alright?"

"They're fine," Nephrite said tersely. "But someone is really determined to find Minako, and they're not nice people."

"When will Ami and Motoki be there?"

"Soon."

"We should leave immediately and meet them somewhere," Rei said, tensed. "We can't stay here now that they know about this place."

"Exactly," a voice said from behind them. Minako looked at them all with an air of authority around her that they hadn't felt for years. Rei's eyes narrowed. Minako had removed the stone from around her neck, and she could easily sense her strong and shining aura. "You can't wait any longer. They're already on their way there, and they're close."

"Who are they?" Nephrite asked.

Airi went to Minako and the woman took her daughter into her arms, whispering soft words of reassurance into her ears. Without answering the man, she went to the fireplace and put the pictures that were on the mantelpiece into one of the two big bags she was carrying without effort.

"Who are they?" Nephrite repeated angrily.

"Dangerous people. I'm leaving, and you should do the same. Don't worry about your things, they will be brought to you later by allies."

When she went toward the door, Nephrite glared at her and put himself on the way. Minako's eyes narrowed.

"Those people were keeping an eye on my fiancée, they could have killed her!" he accused with anger.

"They are not stupid enough to touch her, they know she was a Senshi not so long ago and they respect that. Now move."

"I want to know who they are."

"They will not look twice at you all if you stay away from this. Now move, before I decide that you're annoying."

Mamoru stood up and nodded toward Nephrite. His friend and ex Shitennou took a step to his right, not happy about the fact. Artemis ran toward Minako.

"I'm coming this time."

"You're not."

"Yes, I am. I want to know what this is all about, I have to –"

"Remember your oath," Minako said coldly.

Her guardian eyes shined and his head lowered in desperation. Luna went to his side to try and comfort him, and Nephrite's eyes narrowed at the scene.

"I still think you owe us all answers," he growled.

"I owe you answers when I'm only trying to keep my child safe?" Minako retorted, her eyes cold as Airi kept her face hidden against her throat, afraid because of the tension in the room. Nephrite couldn't say anything to that and reined his temper in. "I thought so," she said.

"Where are you going?" Usagi asked, tears in her voice.

"Far away from here, and from them."

"Mina –" Rei began, but the idol didn't let her finish and didn't even turn toward her.

"Go home, and forget about them, and they will forget about you. This isn't your fight, and this isn't your destiny."

And with that, she left, so swiftly that they couldn't stop her this time.

Minutes later, they heard her car leaving the propriety, and they looked at each other worryingly.

Mamoru was frowning, and he looked at them all with somber eyes.

"I say we leave this damned place as soon as possible. You have five minutes to gather your things, and we'll hit the road and meet Ami and Nephrite in a location not situated on any roads leading there. Neph, call them to warn them."

They all nodded silently and went upstairs to take their things, lost in their thoughts.

Rei stayed where she was, her heart cold inside of her chest, her eyes on the spot where she had last seen Minako.

She had let her go, and she didn't know if she was ever going to see her again.

She had let her go.

* * *

Dan yawned as he jogged toward his car. He looked around and saw Axel, Rina and an elderly man near another vehicle.

"Hey, Axel, could you tell the others that we're going? Everybody came back from the café and the shop?"

"Yes, I think so. I'll warn them."

"Okay."

Dan entered his car next to a man of forty.

"Ren, how many hours?"

"An hour and we will be at the propriety."

"Any news, Rui?"

Ren's sister nodded from the back of the car, her eyes on the screen of a laptop.

"Like we suspected the device we placed into the car to prevent any communication from their phones must have short-circuited."

"They could have left the car behind. The thing only has a 20 meters range."

"I don't think so. The car is still moving, the tracer's still working. And they have changed trajectory."

"They're lost?" her brother asked as he drove.

The 37 year old woman shook her head.

"I don't think so. They've just… deviated. If they're still going to see the princess, they sure are taking detours."

"The princess must have warned them to stay away. Good for us."

"But what if she left?"

Dan shrugged.

"We don't know for sure if the others have warned them or not."

"Hayao could have the time to talk to Mizuno and Furuhata."

"Even if he did, he knew better than to explain everything to them. The princess must still be at home, and we soon will see the day we have all waited for all our life come."

Rui smiled.

"I wish I could have taken my sons with me. They're going to be so excited, but their father would have wondered why I took them for a professional trip."

"The princess might permit our spouses to come and to share our secret," her brother said.

"You divorced again, it's not really a problem for you," she teased. "You even resigned from your job."

"It won't matter soon," Dan said. "If the princess leads us to our land, all of that won't matter anymore."

"At last, our kind will have what it deserves."

Dan smiled and looked behind them. On the road, eight other cars were following them, in it were gathered thirty or so men and women, young or old, poor or rich, the only thing they had in common were their genes. Most of them were Japanese of origin, a few of them related one way or another to at least another. It wasn't easy for the other families scattered across the world, mostly in Europe, to take a leave from their life to come to Japan. But they were informed that the Day was near.

How many they were, children included, Dan wasn't sure. He was sure of only one thing: they weren't nearly enough. Axel and his half sister were the ones in charge of that kind of knowledge. Their family had been holder of the Artifact for generations and as such they had to keep trace of every family and every branch that existed. Dan only knew that there were eight or nine lines around, with a few branches for five or six of them. It meant they were at least one hundred, but less than three hundred.

He also knew that their survival was at risk. At least two of these lines were risking extinction because of the lack of heir. Too few branches, too few children, too many temptations, that was the principal threat to them all.

Hayao was dead, and the others would soon ask what happened to him. He had been charming and funny and had made a few friends in their ranks during their time working together in the search for their princess these last years, taking turns and working in teams put together because of their localization.

A few of them, like Ren and Rui, knew that their goal was important enough to suffer a few losses. They were loyal to their ideology and thought that Dan and his methods were the key to their future. As for the others… Well, they had believed Dan and had followed him, but it wasn't because they tended to be egocentric that they were without honor or integrity.

He had to trade carefully, but he knew that once Minako Aino would be amongst them, all of that wouldn't matter.

For she wouldn't be able to resist her own blood, her own kind.

Her destiny.


	10. Those people from the past

**Lineage**

_**Those people from the past**_

_**Eighteen years ago. London**__**, England.**_

_The __Englishman looked at the house in flames, smiling. He was satisfied. More than that, he was rather happy. The neighbors were already in the street, trying to do something, anything. But it was too late, and as the firemen arrived on the scene, he quietly hummed._

"_It's Ms Aino's house!"_

"_Oh my god, is she still inside? And the girl?"_

"_She's at school, she should be here soon!"_

_The fools. They were there, trying to persuade themselves that their existences mattered, that they were important. Useful._

_They were just insects._

_They had no idea._

_But soon, their time would end, and the time of his kind would come._

_Chiyoko Aino had been great in her time. How could she not, with her blood? He could remember when they had played together in their childhood years, dreaming that the Day would come during their lifetime. And what did she do? She hid like a coward and held back the princess' potential for greatness._

_Sooner the young Heir would embrace her destiny, better it would be._

"_What have you done?!"_

_The fist came before he could move. He stood up with a smirk and a broken lip, looking at the Japanese man a little taller than him, with his burning gaze and stunning aura. _

"_What was necessary."_

"_How could you? How DARED you?!"_

"_She was becoming a burden for us all!"_

"_She was an heir! She was of a sacred line!"_

"_As you are!"_

"_You know our laws! The eldest of the line and his eldest descendents are the ones with the highest power! You had no right!"_

"_Well, I did it anyway."_

_Even if he anticipated it, he didn't avoid the next attack. The other pushed him violently against the wall, hit him in the face a few times and kept him there._

"_She was my cousin," he seethed with hate._

"_Oh, are you sad?"_

"_You were our friend! We practically grew up together! How could you?!"_

"_Don't tell me you agreed with her, Ken. You know I know you. You're as obsessed as me with the knowledge that our time is drawing near. Didn't you go see her only last night to talk with her?"_

"_You were following me!"_

"_How could I find them otherwise?"_

"_You fucking… This is treason!"_

"_The princess needed –"_

"_She's nine! It isn't time yet! You made her an orphan! We don't know what that could mean for our future!"_

"_Rule number 3: wait patiently for the Day to come, but do all you can to make the future ours."_

"_This is murder and high treason! You're going to pay for this!"_

_Ken Suwa threw the man on the ground, a dangerous light in his eyes. The other chuckled._

"_I can feel your thirst for revenge. I heard you had a daughter after a short relationship a few years ago. Does your son know that he has a little half sister?"_

"_Don't even talk about Axel and Chikane," the other threatened with a cold voice. _

"_You rarely see them. One being in London, the other in Sapporo… But then again, all of us always had a foot in Japan and the other in England. Your mother and Chiyoko's, because of their company, my father, the mighty diplomat…"_

"_We're not here to talk about the past. It's time you face your punishment!"_

"_MOM! MOM!"_

_The desperate cry made them both look toward the scene. The children were coming back from school, and a little girl was trying to go toward the crumbling house, struggling in the arms of a policeman, her hands outstretched toward her last home, sobs in her throat and horror in her eyes._

"_MOM! Let me go!! Mom! Please!"_

_The man struggled to keep the child in his arms, far away from the inferno. The two men near the alleyway could feel the panic, the shock, the desperation and the heart-wrenching pain of the little girl. Her aura was literally calling out, and for people gifted like them, it was excruciating._

_Ken looked coldly at the man responsible for it all. _

"_For her and for us all, you're going to pay."_

_Looking not so sure of himself now, the other tried to look vulnerable._

"_You can't kill me."_

"_You've made her highness suffer and killed her family. You killed an heir in cold blood. For that, your sentence must be maximal."_

"_Ken, you're not a murderer. Think about it. About your children."_

"_My children are raised by their mothers and I already taught them everything about us."_

"_And my son? Danny only has me. He's still young."_

"_I'm sure you taught him well. He must be as sick as you."_

"_Fine, kill me and spend the rest of your life in prison. I did what I did for our kind. I'm in peace."_

_Ken looked at him with disgust and hate._

"_You will not go near the princess again. You will not go near anyone of our kind again. When the Day comes, you will not be part of it. Every single one of us will know about you, and about what you did. Your sentence, Robert Jefferson, is exile. And this sentence applies also to your descendents. Now leave, and never come back."_

_Robert __got up quickly, leaving behind him a brown little bag. Shaking with anger, Ken took it and looked inside, frowning. Dairies. _

_He shook his head, and looked back to see that the policemen had driven Minako away, probably to a hospital, seeing the panic state she had been in._

_He had to find which one. He was now the only family the girl had, and he had to officially declare that he didn't want to take her in. _

_He couldn't raise the princess. He was unworthy of that duty and it wasn't his place, and he was far from being an affectionate person._

_In his opinion, Chiyoko had been in the wrong. It didn't mean she had deserved what had happened to her, not even when she had been foolishly trying to protect her daughter from destiny itself._

_Her death would change many things, he could feel it. Minako would grow up differently. It was possible that the death of her mother would play a big role in her life. The result could even be to their advantage in the long run, and that horrible thought alone persuaded him to stay away from the girl from now on._

_But he was sure of one thing, Robert had been wrong._

_The future wasn't in their hands, and it never had been._

_

* * *

_

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked as she ceased to chew on her pizza. They had joined Ami and Motoki in a little town before going into a restaurant to talk things through. "I don't understand."

"Luna and Artemis were sure that our gifts would be passed on to our babies because of our genes," Mamoru frowned. Then he turned toward the two cats after having made sure that nobody was around. "Weren't you?"

Luna turned to Artemis, who had been quiet since Minako's departure from the manor. He shrugged, and so her partner explained to the others:

"We were sure of that information," she confirmed. "When we noticed that Airi seemed to have inherited Minako's magical energy, we began to suspect that she had also inherited her gift of empathy, maybe others. Before Airi grew up a little and before her gifts became obvious, Minako didn't want to hear anything about the possibility of inheritance. She was adamant about this. She didn't want to talk about it and always brushed off our remarks. But when she couldn't deny it anymore, she admitted that her gifts had been passed on to Airi because of her blood."

"It confirms my theory," Ami noted quietly, eyes shining with the excitation of the scientist in her and the worry of the friend.

"What theory? That makes no sense!" Nephrite said.

"Yeah," Motoki agreed. "You just said that your gifts were of magical and spiritual nature. It means that even if our baby inherited a minimal part of Mako's gifts, it isn't in any case because of their common genes."

"That's true," Ami said simply. "And I'm convinced that our gifts have nothing to do with our blood."

"Then… Minako lied to Luna and Artemis? Did you do tests?" Makoto asked the cats.

Artemis shook his head.

"There was no need. It was obvious. It was in Airi's aura, in her spirit, her gifts felt like Minako's, it felt…"

"Almost more venusian than human?" Ami completed.

Her friends all looked at her with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked with a hoarse voice. Like Artemis, she had stayed silent the last three hours. "Are you implying that Minako is an alien?"

It sounded ridiculous to her. She knew Minako. She had watched her grow up and change. She knew her voice by heart, the sound of her laugh, the scent of her skin, the silk of her hair between her fingers, the way her sobs could make her voice as broken as a little girl's, the feel of her lips against her own, the way her eyes seemed to shine after an orgasm. She knew her dreams, her hopes, what she liked and hated. She knew her in every possible way.

But of course, Rei couldn't say that Minako hadn't kept a few secrets.

"No, of course not," Ami said, making Usagi sighed of relief. "But we are reincarnations of the last Senshi, aren't we? And Minako always seemed more in tune with her past life than us. She's the only one that recovered all her memories, the only one that had a complete understanding of our mission years ago, the only one that had trouble forgetting all of it to live her own life."

Mamoru nodded. As always, he was the most adept at following the doctor's reasoning.

"You mean that she is a purest form of reincarnation than you all are. That she is closer to her past self, and that she has magically inherited far more venusian energy than what we thought possible?"

"She died and was reborn, it's possible that when it happened she reappeared a little more venusian than she had been before."

"You're trying to say that when she was reborn she became half venusian?" Motoki asked, astounded.

"No. Well… in a sense."

"It's impossible," Rei said. "She spent a lot of time in hospitals to prevent any aggravation of her sickness. If something isn't normal in her blood, it would have been noticed years ago."

"Not if it's something so small that a basic analysis can't detect it."

"Ok, ok," Makoto sighed. "So that something in her blood is also in Airi's blood and gives her her empathy gift."

"Airi's empathy is already stronger than it should be," Luna quietly noted. "It made us wonder, but if Minako's really… a little venusian, then it's normal. I mean, Minako's gifts have been strangely powerful since the world was restored."

Nephrite frowned.

"Then Airi's children would also inherit the empathy and whatever else Minako could have passed on to her? But what of Makoto's baby? Will it be gifted?"

"We can't know for sure until it's born, but I think it's unlikely," Ami said. "If Makoto's gifts are unbalanced it's only because of the pregnancy."

Usagi frowned while looking at her empty bottle of soda.

"But why was Minako the only one in that case? Serenity took possession of me a few times, and you all are reincarnations, after all. Why her?"

"Maybe…" Mamoru hesitated. "It's a long shot, but maybe it already was in her blood. What if one of her parents had been a Venusian reincarnated? It could have enhanced her own heritage and linked her more easily with her past persona."

"It could have, but it seems impossible to me."

"I met another human who was also the reincarnation of a venusian soldier," Artemis told Ami somberly. "He had remembrance of his past life too."

"Venusians are running around, reincarnated?" Motoki asked, shaking his head. "It's just getting weirder and weirder."

"Why Venusians, and not Martians, Neptunians, Jovians?" Nephrite said. "It still has no sense."

"Maybe it has." Rei tiredly rubbed her eyes. "Minako said… something strange. We were… fighting –"

"No kidding."

"And," Rei continued, glaring at Makoto, "she said she couldn't tell me what was happening and I couldn't understand because I wasn't one of them."

"'Them'?" Mamoru repeated. "Who are 'them'? What is it, a sect composed of Venusians' reincarnations?"

"Can you imagine Minako in a sect?" Makoto snorted.

"Yes, if she's to be their princess."

"Ami, what the hell are you talking about?"

"The man that came to us to warn us that some people had located Minako was talking about a princess."

"How do you know it's Minako?" Usagi asked, looking lost.

"Deduction. It couldn't be you, and the only one of us that is hiding from everyone because people are apparently very determinate to find her is Minako."

"She _is_ the reincarnation of the last princess of Venus, so if all these people are reincarnations of Venusians and if they remember their past, for them, she is their leader and true monarch. Venusians were one of the races the most attached to their royal members. Their unique kingdom had the longer and stable history of the galaxy."

"I have to correct you, Luna," Artemis said. "Minako is indeed the reincarnation of the last venusian princess, but not of the crown heir. The older brother of the Senshi of Venus was the heir to the throne, and he already seconded his mother when the alliance failed."

"But the prince died in the war, like all the last refugees on the Moon. Minako is by Venusians' laws the last heir, and even if there isn't a planet or a kingdom anymore, these people seem to really want to have her as their queen."

"But why?" Usagi asked. "Planetary kingdoms and such royalties do not exist anymore. All of that failed, and everybody died. It's just Earth now, and humans. What Minako could do for them? They're human, aren't they? What do they want?"

"Good question," Ami nodded. "It's exactly what's bothering me. Such organization and determination can't be without a goal to reunite them all. They are discreet about their actions, they still live as the humans they are in this life. I just don't understand it either."

"What's bothering me," Motoki said, nervous, "is that a dead body is in my home and that all these people that have forced Minako to leave everything behind and to hide are capable of murder in cold blood… which also explains why she doesn't confront them and is constantly running away."

"The fact that one of them tried to warn you means that they're not as united as we believed," Nephrite noted. "Some of them must have warned Minako of their progress through the years, she knew when to move and to hide."

Rei stood up, and everybody looked at her with worry and surprise.

"If some of them are in contact with Minako, it means that they are possibly protecting her from something, or someone in their ranks. It means that she really is in danger, reincarnated princess or not. I have to find her."

"But how?" Usagi asked timidly, sad to see Rei's eyes so dark and her heart clenching with anxiety and compassion for her friends.

"I have a few phone calls to make. Excuse me."

* * *

"Come on, you must know something, Amachachi. Does she know someone around here, someone that has a private jet?"

Rei heard a sigh.

"_I don't think I should tell you."_

"I can't explain everything to you, but she's in danger, and Airi is too. I need to know where she is before she leaves the country."

"_Rei…"_

"You're one of her closest friend. If you don't tell me, I'll call Sugao, I know he would talk to me."

She hoped that the man would believe her, because she was almost sure that even if she could reach Shacho, she wouldn't be able to convince him to tell her anything, not without blackmail, and it wasn't something Rei wanted to do.

"_Her… her two chi__ldhood friends live at a two hours drive from where you are."_

"Her childhood friends?" Rei asked with hesitation.

"_She hum, she never told you? She met them when she came back from England to live in Tokyo when she was nine.__ She didn't have many friends, I believe, just them. I only met them a few times years ago. When she became an idol, after her sickness was diagnosed, she kept them away from her. She rarely saw them anymore by the time you met her. But I know that she stayed in contact with them through the years."_

Rei swallowed her feelings.

"Where are they?"

She wrote the address down when he found it and nodded.

"What are their names?"

"_Hikaru Sorano and Gurikazu Amano. They married each other four years ago."_

"Ok. Thank you. I'll call you to keep you informed."

"_Fine. Be careful."_

* * *

Despite her protestations, Makoto had to join the group that would go home and possibly would come to the rescue of the other if needed. She was pregnant, and nobody wanted to risk her unborn baby. Motoki would stay with her, like Usagi and Luna.

They said goodbye to the others and left for Tokyo. Rei, Nephrite, Artemis, Ami and Mamoru took the second car to try and find Minako.

It took them almost three hours to find the Amanos' propriety, it was night when they arrived there. It was a beautiful house near the city, surrounded by a beautiful garden. The portal was open, Nephrite parked the car near a light blue convertible that they all recognized.

"If Minako's not here now, at least we know that she's been there."

"Bet she won't be happy to see us?" Nephrite smiled.

Rei glared at him, just as the door of the house opened and a man came to meet them. He was tall and thin, big glasses on his nose. His dark eyes fell on Rei, and he smiled.

"Reiko Hino, I presume?" he asked, his voice soft.

The name he gave confirmed to Rei his identity. Minako was the only one with the habit to call her Reiko.

"It's Rei, in fact. Gurikazu Amano?"

"Yes. Nice to finally meet you in person."

They shook hands, and after the presentations, they entered the house. The living room was empty, there were signs that they had just finished their dinner. As Gurikazu asked them to sit down, they could hear Minako and another young woman talking and laughing in another room, possibly the kitchen.

"Minako!" The man called.

"Keep your voice down, Guri, Airi's sleeping," Minako scolded with a smile.

The smile fell to be replaced by a look of annoyance when she entered the living room to see the four guests.

"Really," she said, "you all have a big problem with authority."

"I'm not under your authority," Nephrite immediately snorted, looking disgusted and highly insulted.

"Details, details," Minako sighed, glaring at him. "It's really rude to go to a strangers' house without being invited. I see that you made a few calls," she said, looking somberly at Rei.

The woman shrugged.

"It's you that insisted that I should become more social."

"Great timing," the idol noted bitterly. She almost jumped when her friend cleared her throat. "Sorry. Guys, Hikaru Sorano."

"Amano," the other corrected with a smirk. "You're not going to get used to that, huh, Mina?"

"Hey, who always said that it would happen? I remember clearly you both grimacing when I predicted it."

"We were ten!" the other protested. "And how could you know that then, anyway?"

"I know everything," Minako replied with a mighty air.

"Ladies!" Gurikazu intervened. "Please."

Just then a baby's cry made itself known.

"Congrats," Hikaru said to her husband. "You just woke up your son, _again_."

With a little smile, Minako shook her head.

"I'm going to see him."

She went upstairs while Hikaru sat down near Gurikazu.

"How could you create incomprehensible programs and become a millionaire before being 25 but forget to keep your voice down when Ryo is sleeping."

"Hey! Stop throwing that to my face! I'm not the only one that has become rich, Minako was before she even was an adult!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hikaru said, rolling her eyes. "I'm the only one that didn't grow up to become a genius in a field and make a fortune out of it. So, you're Reiko, huh?"

Rei was beginning to feel a little ill at ease. She wondered how close Minako was to the couple and what exactly she had said to them about her.

"Yes."

"You came after her. That's good. I don't know what's wrong these last few years, but something is definitively wrong."

Gurikazu smirked.

"She tends to be reckless and rather foolish when she believes that she's right."

"She always believes that she's right."

"Exactly," her husband smiled.

"I'm pretty sure Sailor V has beaten down people for less than that."

"What? You know that Minako was V?" Mamoru intervened.

Hikaru shrugged.

"We deduced it when we were teens. When she was a child Mina wasn't really good at keeping secrets."

"I wouldn't say that. As I remember it, we were always wondering things about her, even when we spent a good part of the day with her."

"Well, she wasn't good at keeping that secret, then."

"What do you know, exactly?" Nephrite asked suspiciously.

"Not much more than that," Minako said as she joined them, a now quiet four months old baby in her arms. "They only know some things, not the whole story or mythology."

"Are you trying to make me feel inferior?"

"You managed to wed a rich young man, you shouldn't have any complex, Hikaru. Isn't that right?" Minako cooed at the baby who was looking intently at her. She lightly rocked him while his tiny hand locked around one of her fingers. Seeing her so at ease and calm with this baby in her arms made Rei's heart clenched with regret and a strange envy. "Your mommy is pretty silly, huh, Chibi?"

Hikaru glared at her, scandalized, and reached for her baby.

"What are you saying to him? And what are you calling my son? He's name is Ryo!"

"He's cute. And tiny. And he likes Chibi, don't you, Chibi?"

The baby gurgled and Minako grinned.

Hikaru rolled her eyes.

"I must say that this habit of yours of renaming at first sight things you like is deeply disturbing."

"Is it?" Minako smirked, throwing a glance at Rei.

"Give me my baby."

"Nope. He loves me."

"Of course he loves you," Gurikazu sighed.

"Give my baby back to me before you do any more damages like making him believe that this stupid name is his real name. You have your own baby upstairs," Hikaru noted as she glared at her friend.

Minako shrugged innocently.

"Mine is sleeping. You're mean, you should learn to share and lend me yours for a while."

"Oh Kami," the father sighed, standing up and gently taking his little boy from Minako's arms. "It's not a toy, it's a baby. What are these crazy women doing to you, Ryo, huh?"

Hikaru giggled.

"Come on, we're only kidding."

"You're both crazy."

"Maybe, but we gave birth to two wonderful children. I mean: Airi is perfect...."

Minako grinned happily.

"…and Chibi is absolutely gorgeous," she completed.

"Thank you. So this means, my dear Guri, that you owe us respect."

"Yes, respect, Guri."

Rei looked at them, feeling jealously trying to take over her heart. She was astounded to find that Minako could have such an easy relationship with others than them. Of course she always had a lot of friends, especially in her line of work, but she rarely was really close to them. This was different. The idol trusted this two people.

She trusted them and clearly loved them, and Rei had never heard of them.

It hurt.

As Guri went to put his baby to bed, Minako looked at her watch and frowned.

"I'm leaving soon."

"Already?" Ami asked.

Minako offered her a little smile.

"It's great to see you. You look well."

"Likewise, but that didn't answer my question."

"I don't have much time. They're too close."

The presence of her friend in the room kept them from saying too much, and Minako was well aware of that. Rei knew she was hoping that that would keep them from trying to stop her and make a scene. Artemis couldn't even talk with Hikaru there.

But Minako had forgotten something.

"_I won't let you leave," _Rei said in Chinese.

English was a too well known language. She knew that Ami was fluent in it and that Mamoru understood it well. But she was sure that none of their friends knew Chinese, and it was a language complicated enough that she could safely hope that Hikaru didn't know it.

Minako gazed at her neutrally.

"_I won't ask for permission. I thought that we had closed that debate at the manor. You shouldn't have come here."_

"_I didn't agree, and this time I won't watch you leave my life silently."_

A flash appeared in the idol's eyes, but she controlled whatever emotion it meant quickly.

"_You have to. You're risking everybody's life. It's highly irresponsible of you, Mars."_

"_Mars? It's been a while. I'm not Mars, and we're not at war."_

"_You could be soon, if you stay here. And then, what will you do? Risk their lives? What will you tell Usagi and Luna? Would you risk Ami's life? And what of my friends and of their baby?"_

"_That's unfair, and you know it perfectly."_

"_If they come here and find me, it will be too late."_

"_Why? Because they want you for something? They want their princess?" _Minako's eyes widened. Rei nodded._ "We know about that. Ami guessed it. We know what they are, too."_

The idol looked doubtful.

"_And they are?"_

"_Reincarnations of Venusians. As you are."_

Minako shook her head.

"_Didn't I tell you to stop assuming things?_ Anyway," she said, standing up and switching back to Japanese, "I have to go wake up Airi. It's time."

The others looked at Rei and Minako carefully.

"You don't have to."

"Yes. I have to," Minako replied quietly. "And you have to accept it."

Just when Rei was going to reply something, Minako's phone biped. The young woman frowned and took it. As she read the text, she paled.

Rei was instantly beside her.

"What is it?"

"They're on their way here," Minako said quietly, her voice tensed. She immediately went toward the stairs.

"Who is what?" Hikaru asked worriedly.

"We don't have much time."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that what I warned you about is happening," Minako snapped at her because of her alarm. "Go find Guri, and prepare to leave."

Hikaru nodded, pale, and went upstairs.

"How could they know?" Mamoru asked, tensed, as Nephrite went to the window to watch outside.

Rei frowned.

"They can detect your aura now that they're near?"

"Not mine. Airi's, I think."

"What are you going to do?" Ami asked as Minako typed quickly some things on her phone.

"I can't do anything. It's too late, they're coming."

"But –"

"Mommy?" Airi asked as she was carried by Guri, who also had on his other hand the black bags that Minako had had when she had left her house. "What's happening?"

The little girl had a vest and shoes on despite the pajamas that were under it. Hikaru, her baby ready in her arms on a blue bag at her feet, was also ready to leave. She looked pale and anxious.

The idol looked at her daughter who was still half asleep but alarmed as she looked at Rei and the others.

"Come on, Airi, I have something to tell you."

Minako took her daughter and went outside with her. Her friends, ill at ease under the gazes of the others, shrugged.

"Don't ask us," Guri said somberly. "We know even less than you."

After a few minutes, they went outside and put the bags and the baby in a black car. Gurikazu went to the back garden to get Berger, and after Minako said goodbye to him the man helped the anxious dog in the car.

Hikaru embraced Minako quickly and then took Airi in her arms. The little girl was crying, and she struggled against the woman's hold, screaming for her mother. Looking close to tears herself, Minako went to her and whispered some words in her ear, before softly caressing her face.

Airi went limp in Hikaru's arms. The woman looked with wide eyes as Minako removed a necklace from her neck and put it on her daughter, the stone of Venus shining for a second. The idol exchanged a few words with her friends, and Hikaru put Airi in the car.

Minutes later, they were gone.

All trace of emotions left Minako's face, as her body tensed and her aura flared up. Rei almost took a step back.

"Where are they going?" Artemis asked quietly.

"They're leaving the country."

"For where?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know where they're taking Ai?"

"It's exactly the point," Minako snapped at him. "Now, you are leaving."

"Well, now that we're here, we could stay," Mamoru said with a calm voice, an aura of peaceful energy coming from him.

"You can, but I won't."

She took her car keys from her pocket, but Rei stopped her from going to the convertible.

"Where are you going?"

"Trying to escape them. If I put enough distance between them and I, they could lose my trace."

"But –"

"We don't have time!"

"I can't lose you again!"

Minako froze. She looked at Rei with eyes full of sudden vulnerability. The others suddenly found things interesting to look at a little further.

Minako shook her head, her eyes avoiding Rei's.

"It's not about me, or about you. So many things depend of what will be happening."

"What things?"

"Everything."

"I don't care about that."

"You're lying. You care. You care so much, Reiko. That's why you were a Senshi, that's why I…"

"You can't go on like this," Rei pleaded as Minako looked ready to go. "You can't."

"I have to." Her voice shook suddenly, seemed so tiny, but she took control of it again. "I have to."

"You don't have to be alone."

Minako hesitated, she looked into Rei's eyes, and for a moment, Rei lost herself in that gaze. She felt the idol's hand graze her own, but as their skin touched, Minako tensed.

"They're here."

Both of them turned to see two cars coming toward them at full speed. They stopped as Mamoru, Nephrite, Ami and Artemis came back near the two women.

"Well, here comes the enemy," Nephrite noted dryly.

"All of them are not enemies. Keep that in mind," Minako warned them, just as people exited the cars.

They were eight. All seemed to look at Minako with awe and an obvious reverence. When they came near her, they stopped. A few bowed deeply, other just lowered their heads.

"Your highness," an handsome Caucasian man hidden in the shadows smiled at her, his eyes betraying darker thoughts. "It's been a while."

Minako seemed to automatically take the role of leader. Her posture changed, her face didn't betray anything, her aura seemed to shine more intensively. She looked at him coldly, and Rei then knew that she had to be wary of him.

"I didn't miss you."

"I missed you, my princess."

The way he said those words sent a cold shiver run Rei's spine. She looked at the others. A man and a woman stood directly behind the leader of the group. Three men and two women were with them, one of them being a boy of barely eighteen, the oldest being a man of 60. Besides the leader, a blond woman and a half Caucasian man were the only one that weren't Japanese.

All of them had something in common.

If Rei pushed her sixth sense enough, she could feel a bright trace in all their presences. Something warm, something shining. They had in them a tiny spark of what was coming from Minako in waves.

"You have nothing to do here. You are trespassing a private property," Minako said to all of them, authority seeping from her voice effortlessly.

Immediately, a few of the group seemed shameful, even nervous. They looked ready to obey her, but the man just smiled.

"You owe us explanations, your highness," he said calmly, his soft rich voice caressing their souls. "We have waited for you."

"Yeah, heard that before," Minako whispered, before she raised her voice again. "_I_ am the one to choose when or how I'll come to you. You know nothing of what is to come, and that arrogance is highly unwelcome."

"P…Princess," the woman beside the leader intervened, her voice shaking. "We just wanted to –"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Rui, your highness. This is my brother, Ren. And this is Kamiya, Axel, Marie, Yamashi and Rina."

Kamiya was the elderly man. The boy was named Yamashi.

"Well, Rui, you are not welcome here."

The woman lowered her head. This demonstration of coldness and power from Minako only made the leader smile however.

"We have been looking for you for so long, princess. We are only here to have the privilege to tell you that your people is ready. The others will be there soon, as for the other families, they are all waiting news."

Minako glared at him.

"We both know that they've not decided suddenly to come to me alone."

The man took a step toward her, the light of the porch touching his handsome face and auburn hair. Artemis gasped.

"Danburite?"

He smirked as Minako kept his eyes on him. The others looked with wide eyes at the cat that just talked, but everybody ignored them.

"You mean… Adonis?" Ami asked with hesitation.

"That was my name in the Silver Millenium. When I was a teen, I was better known as Kaitou Ace in the Asian world. But my name is Daniel Johns."

"She killed you!" Artemis growled angrily. "You were dead!"

The situation seemed to amuse Daniel greatly.

"She was, too. But a beautiful miracle happened that gave us both another chance at life."

"You should leave, before I decide that your presence is an insult."

With a boyish grin that didn't mask the coldness in his eyes, he took a step, stopping just in front of Minako.

"You haven't always said that," he whispered intimately to her.

Minako seemed to hesitate. She blinked, then punched him in the face. Her strength made him flew back toward his comrades. He stoop up, blood on his shin and a smile in his crystal blue eyes.

She smirked coldly at him.

"Well, lover boy, I'm telling you now. Leave."

"Careful. We wouldn't want this long awaited family reunion to become a sad event."

Rei could feel Minako's rage, even if she showed nothing of it. As for her, the simple thought that Minako and Adonis or Danburite or whoever he was had had an affair made her skin crawl.

But when Minako finally nodded, she understood her gesture, and she knew the others noticed it too.

The threats behind Dan's words weren't empty.

Rei had seen the metal of a gun under his shirt, and she could bet he wasn't the only one carrying one.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

_A/N: Danburite/Adonis/Kaitou Ace is taken from the Sailor V manga, even if I gave him European origins and a slightly different story. Hikaru Sorano was Minako's childhood best friend before she became Sailor V, also in the manga, and Gurikazu Amano __was their classmate and friend. As you have noticed, they're only there to take Airi to safety and to show that Minako has really kept some big things from Rei and the others._

_As for the next chap…_

_At least, all is going to be revealed…_


	11. Of blood and will

**Lineage**

_**Of blood and will**_

_**Thirteen years ago. Shanghai, China.**_

"_Crescent Beam!" Sailor V screamed as she pointed her index finger at his heart._

_She was hurt, and because of that she had to say her power phrase aloud to gain more energy. It meant no surprise effect, but she didn't care at this point. For the first time since she became a Senshi, Minako was in a life or death situation, and her reflexes were taking over her body._

_After having released the attack, she did a flip back and stopped there, her hand coming to rest against her side. Blood was sipping from her wound, and she grimaced, exhausted._

_Her eyes narrowed when she saw the boy move. He was still alive! But as she watched him awkwardly stand on his feet, she felt his energy decreased and saw then the burns and the tears on his flesh, the blood and the pain in his eyes._

_She froze. It was the first time she used her powers at this level, the first time that she really hurt someone with them._

_Despite his state, he limped slowly toward her, his blue eyes looking into her young ones attentively. Something in his presence was exquisite. His aura seemed to call out to her own, she had already noticed during their previous encounters his beauty, the way her mind seemed to freeze with a burning recognition when he was near her. She couldn't think clearly, could loose herself into this crystal gaze, her whole body reacted to his and she just couldn't stay away._

_Even if it was the first time she experienced it in her young life, the thirteen-year-old girl had no trouble putting a name on that reaction._

_Want._

_Pure and uncontrollable desire._

_And she knew that the young man was feeling exactly the same when they were physically close to each other._

_He smiled a bloody smile__._

"_You have greatly improved, princess."_

"_You shouldn't have threatened the lives of everyone in this studio, Danburite."_

"_This is the name they gave me, but you know this is not my true identity. I am like you."_

"_This doesn't change anything."_

"_You felt it of course, in my aura. You recognized it. We belong to the same kind."_

_He stopped just in front of her. Despite the blood and sweat, she could smell his natural perfume, and she hated what it was doing to her body. She was too inexperienced to know how to control it, and it was greatly annoying her._

"_I was Adonis once. A soldier in your family's army. I loved you from afar, princess. But you never noticed me, and you left for the Moon."_

"_It's over. You lost."_

_As if the pain suddenly became more real with her words, he fell to his knees at her feet and she prudently watched him struggle to breathe. _

"_Yes, I lost," he smiled. "Let me tell you your final love fortune, beautiful little princess."_

_She looked at him warily, ready for any tentative on her life._

_But his gaze was becoming glassy, and he just looked at her with eyes full of pain, of anger and of burning desire._

"_You will always choose duty over love, and so your love will be hopeless for all eternity."_

_A few minutes later, Artemis found her there, standing near the lifeless body._

"_Sailor V, we have to go! People are coming!"_

_She didn't react and the cat went to her, looking at her worriedly._

"_You're hurt!"_

"_I killed him," she whispered._

"_He was evil, he tried to kill innocent people!"_

"_I killed a man, Artemis," she snapped._

"_You didn't have a choice. It was him, or you. You'll have to take tough decisions in the battle to come to protect the Moon princess. You have to learn to accept it."_

_With a last glance to the late idol, Minako followed her guardian, with sudden dread in her belly and the feeling that, one way or another, it wasn't the last she saw of Ace._

* * *

_**More or less five years ago. Tokyo, Japan.**_

"_Miss Aino, you are stunning tonight."_

_She had felt him long before he had even noticed her. She turned toward him without surprise and noted immediatly how handsome he looked in his tuxedo._

"_Mister Ace, long time no see."_

_He smiled, and Minako almost chocked on her champagne._

"_My name is Daniel Johns. You grew up well," he complimented, his blue eyes twinkling._

"_You resuscitated well."_

"_Likewise."_

_They were not enemies anymore, she had to remind herself. They were at a charity gala (quite boring), both of them because of their profession._

_Speaking of which…_

"_What are you doing now? Stealing young girls' energy? Killing innocent people? Trying to seduce innocent thirteen-year-olds?"_

_His boyish grin almost made her flush. He was without any doubt sexy and Minako was well aware of the fact that she wasn't thinking clearly._

_But she didn't care. She would take any distraction that would prevent her from thinking about Rei and about the fact that she already missed her so much that she felt like she would crumble to the slightest pressure. Her heart was in tiny pieces somewhere, and she was pretty sure that she would never be able to put it back together._

Your love will be hopeless for all eternity.

_This man had said that to her years a__go. It seemed that he was right, and it scared her._

"_You may have been thirteen, but you weren't that innocent."_

"_Really?"_

"_And for your information, I'm the head of a successful talent agency in London. If you ever think you need a change…"_

"_No, thank you. I'm really happy with my team."_

"_Always loyal, I see."_

_She didn't answer, just smiled as she saw how his gaze darkened when she tilted her head, her black hair falling on her shoulder._

_The few seconds of silence gave her the time to notice his broad shoulders, his strong jaw, his long fingers._

_In her mind, something alien seemed more awake, more alive. It was always like this when she was near one of them. It was like the part Minako Aino in her lost control and… someone (something?) else appeared. And worse, it seemed normal, it seemed right._

_It was utterly terrifying. _

"_Are you as bored as I am?"_

"_Worse," he smiled, amused. "Did you give money?"_

"_Of course. But the organization sucks."_

"_No kidding. Are you here alone?"_

_She raised an eyebrow. She was stupefied to see him redden a bit, and he seemed as shocked as her of the fact._

"_I was just making conversation,__" he justified himself quickly._

"_Yes, of course," she smiled. "Careful. I wouldn't want to have to beat you down again."_

"_It was just a lucky shot last time."_

"_You wish."_

_He put a__ hand on her arm, and she shivered with want. _

_His aura, his presence, everything about him was intoxicating. Everything about him made her body and energy react. The feeling, the warmness it caused in her made her feel alive for the first time since the break up, it felt good, it felt reassuring. And so, she grinned.  
_

_Hours later, as they went to his hotel room and began indulging this powerful desire they felt, Minako wasn't really surprised with that outcome._

_To most people, it would seem unnatural._

_To her, it wasn't._

_Because she knew that for people like them, this was quite natural._

* * *

"Can you explain what the hell is happening there?" Nephrite asked, quite annoyed.

Minako looked at them, her arms crossed against her, and shrugged.

After a very strange conversation in the living room, full of hidden meanings that surely only Dan and Minako could have understood, everybody had been sent to bed. Despite a few hesitations, given that the house was the property of people that weren't even there, everybody eventually agreed.

Rei had understood that came morning, more of these crazy people would be there with Dan. And it wasn't at all a good thing for them.

"They know who we were," Ami said quietly, sitting down on the double bed.

"Of course they know," Minako answered somberly. "Information are shared, it's one of the tasks of the holder of the Artifact."

"The what?"

Minako didn't want to answer, so she stayed silent.

"We could leave while everybody sleeps," Mamoru said, looking not very sure of his idea.

"You could. Maybe they would let you leave. I could cover your trace."

"We're in this together, we stay together."

The sigh Minako let loose showed that she knew he would say something like that.

"They can feel my aura. Well, at least Dan and a few others can. They'll know if I leave."

"If they think you're their princess, why can't you order them to leave?" Nephrite asked.

"Don't you think I already tried that? They think they are right, that it was written. Dan convinced them that they had to come to me a few years ago, and he's highly charismatic. Few have his control over their aura. Besides me, of course."

"Glad to see you're as humble as always," Rei noted.

"I'm just stating the truth. The thing is, Dan and a few others are ready to kill to see the Day come. I don't know exactly who would be with me if I decided to banish Dan."

"Banish him?"

"Exile him. Our laws permit it. The fact is that it could get violent if he has allies that are ready to defy my decisions for him, and I can't risk the others' lives."

"But he's nobody, and you're their princess. They seemed ready to bend to all your wishes," Mamoru noted.

"Of course, but I avoided them for years, I ran away from them and denied my… obligations. Because of that they can think that I'm not thinking clearly."

"Just great. Good side?" Nephrite asked.

"They won't try anything against me, or against you because of your past. Except if you interfere with what they have in mind, or if you defy me."

"And the sentence would be?"

"Our laws dictate that for the highest crimes the highest sentences must be applied."

"Meaning?"

"Banishment or death."

"Venusians always were inclined to blindly follow their feelings without common sense," Artemis sighed.

"In your case, banishment can't be applied. You would be killed."

"Murder? Nice."

"It's been decades since such sentences were last used," Minako explained, ignoring Nephrite.

"If they're so anxious to see that Day come, why are they letting the night pass?" Rei asked. "They could ask you to do whatever they want you to do now."

"Time… plays in their favor."

"Why?"

"Because… the longer I stay near them, the more that part of me that wants to lead them takes over."

"What?"

"It's in my blood. In my very being. And it awakes every time I'm near one of mine."

"What do you mean?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, what is that sect?"

Minako blinked, and then glared coldly at Nephrite.

"A sect? Can't you be serious? It's not a game!"

"Never said it was."

"Who are they, exactly?" Artemis asked quietly, his big green eyes on Minako making her calmer once more.

And the woman had more difficulty refusing her guardian this time.

"Who they are is not really important," she began slowly, her eyes drifting toward the window and the night sky. "But what they are, however…"

"They're humans."

"Of course. Humans. Ninety nine percents human at least."

"And the last percent is venusian," Ami said quietly.

Minako smiled bitterly.

"They're not reincarnations, Ami. Well, Dan is, and I am, but it's not all we are."

"What… do you mean?"

She turned toward her, her eyes dark, and Rei knew she felt stranded, she recognized the fear in her gaze. Minako couldn't stay silent now that her friends were involved, but something in her still refused to give in.

The idol closed her eyes, and shook her head, as if she was mentally struggling against something. Her voice was soft suddenly, apologetic, almost fragile.

"I can't tell you."

"Why?" Artemis asked, outraged with her lack of answer, his voice more piercing than ordinary.

"Because it would be betraying my kind. Secrecy is our rule number one."

"Oh please," Nephrite groaned.

The fragility in Minako disappeared at once, her eyes hardened and for a second Rei thought that the idol would attack him. But she controlled herself, that strange, unknown and scary violence in her posture disappearing slightly once more. But the simple fact it existed was worrying enough to Rei.

"You don't understand," Minako explained coldly. "Those rules are taught to us as soon as we're old enough to understand and memorize them. Our history, our laws, our ways, our past, our culture, it's engraved in our mind. Every heir is raised in these principles. It's nearly impossible to betray them."

"Seems like brainwashing of innocent little kids to me."

Rei wished Nephrite would shut up, even if he was saying what everyone was thinking. She didn't intervene though.

"It's not," Minako snapped. "We're proud of what we are and of our history, it's a matter of survival. If those traditions hadn't been respected, nobody would remember, all would have been lost and our bloodlines may have disappeared long ago, like almost all others."

"If you're so proud of your kind, _princess_, why were you running away and why did you put your daughter in a plane to an unknown destination?"

"It's a long story," Minako answered with an icy voice. "As if I would explain myself to a Shitennou, a traitor and a murderer like you."

"Calm down, both of you," Mamoru advised, his voice strong and warm.

Minako glared at him, but she said nothing. Rei's eyes fell on Ami. She knew that expression on the genius' face. She knew it quite well.

"Ami? What are you thinking?" she asked quietly.

The woman blinked and reddened when she saw everybody looking at her.

"Did I miss something?" she asked timidly.

"Only your so charming fiancé being unnecessarily aggressive," Artemis answered with a glare for the man in question.

"Oh, I heard that," Ami said. "He's just worried, don't mind him, Minako."

Of course, the genius totally ignored the look her partner gave her at that remark.

"What were you thinking about?" Rei asked again.

"Well," she hesitated, looking nervous under Minako's gaze. She looked at her idol friend and fidgeted. "Your laws state that you can't talk about your kind, is that right?" When Minako nodded slowly, Ami continued: "But how does it work when one of you marry? You said that the children are taught from early on your history, that means that people from outside of your kind know about it."

Minako suddenly looked ill at ease. Rei could tell from the way her eyes were fixed on only Ami's, and from the way her body discreetly tensed. And of course, from that cute way she let her thumbs play with her pinkies.

"No, it doesn't."

"But… you don't marry only in your ranks… how many are you?"

"Two hundred, more or less. Not enough."

"Then, the other parent of the child…"

"Nobody can know."

"They teach their children those laws and things in the mother's or father's back?" Mamoru asked, and it was clear that that idea didn't sit well with him. "They teach them to hide things from their own parent?"

"It's our laws, yes. Children will have to teach their own children and so on, they have to know. Besides, many of us don't stay with the same partner for very long. They raise their heirs alone, or they let the other parent raise them and go see the children regularly to educate them. Either way, the heritage must be maintained and the outsiders must remain in the dark."

"And what if the venusian parent abandon the child?"

"Abandon is against all our rules. If it's discovered, the sentence is death."

"You mean that these people that we saw may have wives or husbands who stayed at home and don't know what their partners are up to right now? That they've lied to them from day one? What kind of partnership is built like that?"

Rei felt her heart sting and she quickly averted Mamoru's eyes on her as his Shitennou once again talk a little too much. Ami nudged Nephrite not so discreetly to remind him of the situation, and when he understood he quieted down immediately, suddenly looking down with guilt.

The silence stretched for a few seconds. Rei didn't know if she should feel better knowing that Minako hadn't talked to her about all that because of her education or of laws or whatever, or if she should feel incredibly insulted by it.

"But your laws are not against others guessing things, right?" Ami asked with hesitation.

Minako looked at her with wariness, and a little spark hidden in her eyes. It could be because she was hoping her friend had guessed something or because she was alarmed by that thought. Nevertheless, the idol shook her head silently.

"Great, I would have felt bad if somehow you had to decide between killing me or betraying your education," Ami said, trying to lighten the mood. Needless to say, it didn't work. "Hum, okay. You're not only a reincarnation of the princess of Venus, are you? You're the princess of Venusians by blood."

Minako didn't react, but the others did.

"Impossible!" Artemis gasped. He went to Minako and raised his round eyes toward her. "Is that true?"

Her silence was eloquent.

"But all Venusians died during the war," Mamoru protested. "The last refugees and the princess died on the Moon centuries ago!"

"You're a Venusian?" Rei asked, a lot more calmly, mainly because she just didn't know how to react.

She felt like nothing made sense anymore.

Minako looked at her. She seemed to hesitate, but decided to talk this time.

"I'm a lot more human than anything else. But I'm also the last direct descendent of the Royal House of Venus."

"How is this possible?" Artemis whispered, astounded.

"If… Rei and Ami remembered clearly their past lives, they would know. Two weeks before the last battle on the Moon, the princesses and the other royal representatives met in a secret gathering. They… knew that they were going to lose, and despite their loyalty to Serenity, they wanted to save their races. But all the planets were dying. All of them, but one."

"Earth," Mamoru whispered.

"A lot of families of all origins had already and secretly hid on the Earth, far away from the Dark Kingdom. Because of the wars, nobody noticed them. Hundreds, thousands of each races established themselves on the planet in this last year of the Silver Alliance. The last of the royal families chose to send their advisors with them at the last moment."

"But the Senshi of Venus died on the Moon, I was here," Artemis insisted.

"She died. And I am her reincarnation. But I am also the descendent of the crowned heir."

"The prince? The prince went to Earth? Impossible, his absence would have been noticed."

"His, yes. But not the absence of his fiancée, pregnant with my ancestor."

"By Mau," Artemis exhaled, sitting down heavily. "I can't believe this."

"You're the heir of Venus?" Mamoru asked. "Wow. Great heritage. I mean, besides the ball of lava for a planet, that is."

"How could they all live peacefully on Earth?" Ami asked.

"The aftermath of the wars and the final destruction of the Moon Kingdom was really dark hours for the planet. The Venusians and the others mingled amongst the Earthlings. In the beginning, a few races forbid marriages with humans. These races were the first to disappear, followed by the ones that weren't composed of enough people to begin with. Venusians had a few things on their side: they had no trouble adapting, they were thousands having fled to Earth to begin with and they never were against marrying people from other races, humans included. The laws were made early on by the advisors and the prince's fiancée. In the long run, thanks to them we never forgot our origins nor did we forget the existence of our gifts and how to control them. It also means that we've been keeping trace of every one of us and of every bloodlines."

"And the other races?" Ami asked, fascinated.

Minako shrugged.

"We lost trace of them decades ago. We think that none of their heirs knew of their true origins, and that they might have almost all disappeared by now. But I know that at least a family still has neptunian genes, and I met a jovian heir."

"How can you know that? I mean, it's been so long… There is almost nothing in you or the others that is extraterrestrial," Ami frowned.

"I know because the races' gifts are linked to their energy and aura, a thing humans lack totally. And that can't be as easily erased or mixed as blood and genes. But Venusians' genes are disappearing now. We're too few, and we tend to have fewer and fewer children. Most of the families don't have gifts really developed anymore, and most of them possess a weak aura. We estimate that in a few generations, only two or three lines, certainly mine and my distant cousins', will still hold any trace of the venusian heritage."

"O-kay," Nephrite sighed. "So, they're descendents of Venusians, like you are, only you're a royal heir. That means that one of your parents was one too, obviously."

"My mother was, like my grandfather and his brother were before her and their mother before them and etcetera. Why?"

"If they were princes and princesses, why didn't they have the same trouble as you to live their life peacefully?"

Minako rolled her eyes.

"Because my birth was foretold."

"How so?"

"Hello? The Senshi? The rebirths of the princesses and of princess Serenity? The malediction and the mission? They were waiting for that since the beginning, for the day when the princesses would come back to lead them again. Only, by the time it happened, all other royal lines were long gone. You were reincarnated as humans. But my line was still there. The venusian heirs always knew that one day the eldest sacred line would give birth to a royal child possessing the spirit of the last Senshi. And - _lucky me_ - guess who was conceived while the Dark Kingdom began comploting again? I think... that my mother understood who I was early on. The others soon followed. They were taught that they had to wait for the other reincarnations to manifest themselves and the Earth to be saved, and that only then the Day all lines have been waiting for for generations would come."

"What Day?"

"It's a legend," Minako said, annoyed. "We've been taught that the chosen one would come to the survivors to lead them and offer them their promise land. And a great time of peace would come then for them."

"You're their Moses?" Nephrite couldn't totally hide his amusement. "They seem really anxious to have their new kingdom."

"Of course they are! Didn't you hear what I just said? This need, this want, it's in our blood, it's almost literally written in our genes."

"You don't seem as excited as them at the prospect," noted Mamoru quietly. "You were raised in the same way as them. You're their princess, and you're the reincarnation of a past one. You should be happy to have this chance to build a new Golden Kingdom, to reign and to reunite the last of your race."

"Oh, I'm ecstatic, didn't you catch my happy dance?" Minako sneered. "I may be rather vain, bossy and I may love attention, but I don't need subjects and a kingdom to be happy. I've been an idol since I was twelve, remember? I had thousands fans, money, awards, all of it!"

"Is that why you're trying to avoid them?"

"Yeah, just because I'm a spoiled brat who doesn't want to have to lead a bunch of strangers, to have a sacred duty _again_ and to have to bring that miracle that they all dream about. Oh, and I'm not happy about having to leave my friends, my life and all I love behind. But newsflash: that happened already! It's not that simple, Mamoru."

"Ok, calm down! I think we're all tired. It's very late, and we're going to have an early start tomorrow to try and do something against this Dan."

"Hum, ok, Rei, but there is only one bed," Ami noted quietly.

"Neph and you can take it."

"I'll take the sofa," Mamoru offered. "You girls can have the next room. Hum… that is, if…"

"It's okay," Minako stated quietly before leaving the room for the next.

"Rei, will you be alright?" Ami asked.

"Are you kidding? Who has never dreamed of sharing a bedroom with a real princess who is also their ex girlfriend while all this madness is happening? Nah, it's going to be great."

"First Minako and now you? Too much sarcasm isn't cute," Nephrite groaned.

Rei shook her head.

"Don't worry. It's going to be fine. Be careful, I'll wake you up at five tomorrow or… rather, later."

* * *

When she entered the room, she saw that Minako had sat down on the little bench by the window. Artemis was on the bed, looking at her with his ears down. Rei sighed, removed her shoes and laid down on the mattress.

She felt exhausted. Mentally and physically. She couldn't even imagine how tired Minako must be feeling at that moment.

"You should rest," she advised quietly.

Minako, her body only lit by the moon, shook her head.

"I can't right now. Feeling them in the house is freaking me out. I… spent so many years fearing that they would find me... I'm used to flee every time I feel one of them near me."

"You need to sleep, though."

"It's the first time Airi and I are separated."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"I know that Guri and Hikaru will take good care of her. I know that she will be safe as long as she keeps the stone on her. I just… I don't like not being near her. I'm sure that she's scared, and I'm not here to sooth her, or to tuck her in."

"You will see her soon," Rei reassured her quietly. "I'm sure of it. She's better far away from here than in this house, and she has Berger with her. You need to rest, Mina, or you'll collapsed."

"I'll be fine. Sleep."

Rei sighed, but knew that they couldn't have a conversation right now, not when Minako was this distant and withdrawn.

She closed her eyes, and despite her anxiousness, she fell asleep.

* * *

Something…

Trapped between sleep and awareness, Rei thought she felt somebody near her.

The feel of a light feather touch on her forehead and cheeks. In her hair. The sensation of a soft breath against her lips made them tingle. For a second, the half conscious woman thought that the person – _Minako_, her mind told her – would kiss her.

But instead of her lips, she kissed her cheek, then her temple. Her touch was warm, soothing.

Rei sighed quietly.

"Sleep well," the soft voice whispered into her ear.

Rei did just that.

* * *

"Where are the others?"

"Did you sleep well?"

"It doesn't concern you, Daniel. Where are the others?"

"In the garden. Everybody is there."

Minako narrowed her eyes.

"I know."

Ren, Rui and Yamashi were behind him. Minako looked at them one by one. She smirked. She at least knew now that those three were with Dan.

Armed and dangerous.

Minako hated extremists.

"You should ask your friends to leave," Dan said agreeably. "After all, this is only a family reunion."

"We're not going anywhere," Mamoru informed, his always warm and calm aura seeping from his control.

Dan looked at him with wariness. Minako was rather impressed. She had never noticed the way Mamoru could be charismatic, pure and soothing energy coming from him in waves.

"Fine," Dan said curtly. "As you wish. We wouldn't want Endymion, Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury to feel unwelcome, would we? I wouldn't say the same of a Shitennou and an advisor from Mau, but I guess it can't be helped."

"Careful," Minako warned. "You don't want to cross me, do you?"

Dan lost his smile and nodded.

"Of course not, your highness."

"Fine. We're going to get some fresh air."

He couldn't keep her from doing it, and she enjoyed his quiet rage. She knew full well that outside were reunited at least all the Japanese descendents, and he couldn't defy her in front of them all. They would see this as treason, and all of them would be against him.

Dan wanted to play?

Fine, Minako loved to win.

Outside, she almost froze.

"Wow," she heard Mamoru whispered.

Silently, Minako was quite impressed as well. Tents and installations had been put together during the night in the garden, safe from prying eyes. There must have been at least thirty-five, maybe forty people, all looking at her with eyes full of wonder.

Great.

She didn't stop until she was near them all, and she didn't let any of her feelings showing on her face.

They were whispering among them, studying her with their prying eyes. In a corner of her mind, Minako wondered if they were intimidated and in awe of her because of her idol status and her disappearance of the last years, because of the legend around her birth and what they had all learnt in their childhoods or because of her powerful aura.

Probably all at once, she decided.

She didn't like it. She was very used to people reacting like that around her, of course, but she knew that this time it was different. She couldn't sing something, smile and leave.

They wanted things of her that she couldn't give.

Things she _wouldn't _give.

She didn't know them. They didn't know her, they didn't know Minako Aino. They saw the princess they had wished for, they saw an icon, something old, ancient, sacred. Something generations and generations had talked about, had dreamed of.

They saw something that wasn't Minako Aino, and something Minako Aino was terrified of.

If only they knew, if only they could understand.

If only their empathy was strong enough to pass her aura and to detect her terror, her exhaustion, her anger.

If only they could see what her supposed destiny had pushed her to become, how it had kept her from enjoying her life and from giving herself totally to the woman she had always loved. If only they could see how these last years they had all unwillingly hurt her, destroyed her.

At the corner of her eyes, she saw Rina and discreetly nodded toward her, Kamiya with his old gaze knowingly following her moves, Marie and her beautiful smile, Yusuke and his stern face.

Rina had told her that they had found other friends in their ranks, but Minako didn't know them. Before today, she had never met Marie and Kamiya either. She could have found the others, but she didn't have the time nor the heart to examine thoroughly the feelings of every person there.

It didn't matter anyway. What was important wasn't to know where her allies were, but where her enemies could be.

"What are they waiting for?" Nephrite whispered, looking at everyone like he expected them to change into youmas.

"Minako's words."

"Good luck."

Minako thanked him silently. She would need all the luck she could get, indeed.

Her life was far from being the only one at stake here.

She stopped walking when she was sure everybody was looking at her. They seemed to froze, the silence was deafening.

This was what happened when people raised their children in the faith of a single thing, a single event to come.

Innocents died, some became extremists and killers, others followed what had been taught to them blindly like faithful and soulless robots.

But they all had one thing in common. They were all hoping that Minako would change their life and the world they lived in.

The idiots.

"For the ones that didn't watch much TV this last decade and that are a little lost, I am Minako Aino," she spoke clearly, pushing her aura to its maximum. Her voice was hard and distant, she wasn't there to make friends. Her powers told them who she was and let them wondering how powerful she really could be, her tone informed them that they weren't there for a joyful family reunion. "I am also the princess that our kind waited for all these centuries. I am the Sailor Venus that fought years ago to try and protect this planet and the princess of the Moon. And I am the woman a few of you have been chasing around these last years."

Some lowered their eyes, others looked around them nervously, confusingly.

Yep, that was right, princess Minako wasn't happy.

"I would like to know who had the marvelous idea of this intiative."

They all looked at her with questions in their eyes, and Minako wasn't surprised at all when Dan had the nerve to appear calm and collected in front of her.

His blue gaze was searching hers, but he wouldn't find anything. In those last years, Minako had learnt a few things about control.

She very well knew that time wasn't on her side. She had to finish this soon, and she had no qualm in doing just that.

He wanted to play dirty? Fine.

"It was me, your highness."

"Daniel Johns. What a surprise. Despite the brightness of your aura, you are of no sacred line, you have no title, you're a nobody."

His eyes flashed with a strange mix of amusement and anger.

"I believe that I was serving my kind for the better in helping the Day to come."

"Really?" Minako looked at them all coldly. "Are the heirs of the minor royal bloodline here?"

An half Caucasian man and a Japanese woman came toward her. The woman was nervous, the man seemed to study Minako with curiosity.

She could recognize the feel of their auras, even if she had never met them. These two people were the last of her family. They were the children of her mother's cousin.

"Your highness, my name is Axel Suwa. This is my half sister, Chikane. We are the holder of the Artifact."

He showed her the bracelet holding the translucent stone that he wore on his left wrist. She nodded.

"You have followed this man of lowest rank in a quest that you had no right to start. Why?"

Axel stayed silent for a while. Minako could bet that he had never asked himself that question. She knew that once you were near Dan and his aura and that you heard him talk you had no choice but to believe him and follow him. He was that good.

But she was better.

"You, who is the holder of the Artifact, of the knowledge of our laws and of our lines, must know what the prediction says about the Day."

Axel nodded and said clearly:

"The Day will arrive after the last battle of the Senshi. The princess will come to the last heirs to bring them the answers and to show them their last land."

Minako let a few seconds of silence passed, waiting for the words and the doubt to enter their minds. She saw Dan's eyes narrowing at her.

Yes, you stupid man, she was a performer before anything else.

"The princess will come to you," she repeated quietly, like a teacher scolding her class, "not the other way around. And certainly not by an initiative led by this man. You have all learnt the lessons, and you have all decided to ignore it. You should be ashamed of yourself, because you have brought shame on your ancestors." Dramatic, Minako thought cynically. "_I_ am the one with the authority, I am the one with the answers, I am the one holding in my hands your future." And that truth had been destroying everything in her life those last years. "I am your leader, not anybody else, and certainly not this man."

"But, milady, we thought that…" Chikane hesitated. "You…"

"I am 26, my life has just begun, and the Day is not to come before a few more years. That was why I was trying to keep my distance. It is not the time."

"Really?"

His voice was sweet. Too sweet.

She had an headache, and the strong and almost overwhelming need to just surrender was threatening to take over her mind.

Surrender, and let her venusian side take over to lead them, to do what she had been born to do. Forget everything else, let herself fall into her own body. Everything would be fine then. She would be able to sleep. She would be able to feel safe at last. To lose control.

Oh, how she _needed_ all that…

An addictive fog was slowly enveloping her thoughts. They were too many of them there, too many with in their aura the golden energy, too many for her to stay strong after a night near them all.

She had to push her aura to its maximum to stay focused, to keep herself from letting go, she had to stay in control, but she knew perfectly that she couldn't keep using her energy like that.

Making use of her venusian powers while being in her human form was highly dangerous, like her little adventure in the woods of the manor had reminded her.

Dan's voice forced her to shake herself from her thoughts.

"But everything seems to indicate that the Day is very near."

When she looked coldly at him, three men, Kamiya included, approached him, ready to stop him or arrest him for his insubordination. Minako saw Ren and Rui tense. She didn't know how they would react, and she could feel the metal of their guns underneath their shirts. She raised a hand, stopping the men with the mere gesture. Scanning the little crowd, she saw the boy, Yamashi, and another bulky man with long hair being unnecessarily on their guard. She felt at least two others, a woman of thirty and a man of forty, with the same feelings as them.

Six of them with Daniel, at least.

And at least four on her side, who knew of them and of the four murders they were responsible for in the name of their future.

She smirked at her one time lover.

"Then, Daniel Johns, tell us. You have all the answers, haven't you? Then tell your friends when the Day is to come exactly and what will happen then."

By friends, she meant the people he had enrolled, hoping to plant the seed of doubt into their mind. She didn't know if they had been criminals before they met him, and frankly she didn't care. They would all pay.

Minako had never proclaimed being a forgiving person, nor a nice girl.

Everybody looked at him, some with distrust and feelings of betrayal, some with anger, some with distant curiosity. Axel seemed to feel more antipathy and mistrust than anybody else. He had followed Dan, but apparently he always had his doubts. Good.

"I can't do that, princess. You are the only one with the answers," Daniel said with a calm tone of voice.

Too bad. Minako had hoped that he would say something that would push the others to act. Or something that would permit her to banish him, or better, to kill him on the spot.

W… wait.

Her thoughts didn't seem totally hers anymore.

She wanted to see him pay.

But murder?

No… that wasn't her…

Oh no. Not good.

She was losing!

"Exactly," she said, showing nothing of the panic that suddenly gripped her heart. "You would do well to remember that. Never listen to that man again," she ordered to the others, knowing that it would at least work with a few of them.

They could all be in awe of her, it didn't mean that they would suddenly learn to obey the wishes of a princess.

She wasn't worried, it would come soon.

Minako's heart constricted with terror.

She was losing the battle against her venusian blood way too fast and her thoughts weren't totally hers anymore.

Before she could even understand what was happening, she was smiling at them.

"You should learn to know each others today. I think that you all need to rest for now. We will leave this property that isn't ours tomorrow morning. Please, enjoy yourselves."

She turned and walked toward the house, her friends in tow. In the way back in, she crossed eyes with Rina and pushed her feelings toward her. Rina nodded. Her team would keep an eye on Dan and the others for now.

Once inside, Nephrite closed the door quietly. Daniel wouldn't enter without her permission now that he had publicly lost his temporary leader status. She knew he was currently fuming at having been so easily demoted to mere subject by her words, after years of being the one in charge of them all.

What had that idiot thought?

That she would make a king out of him? Her second in command?

Not a chance in hell. He was still too important for the others right now, but she was going to eliminate him and the others as soon as possible. They didn't know what she was capable of yet.

He had no idea.

"Hum, Minako? Can you tell us why you didn't tell them to leave immediately?"

Minako turned to Mamoru, a little annoyed at having to explain herself to him.

"It's been years of waiting for them, I couldn't tell them to get lost like that and to wait again for the Day to arrive. They needed something, anything."

"But, just to be sure," Ami said, looking at her warily and Minako didn't appreciate that gaze at all, "you _will_ ask them to go home tomorrow morning. Right?"

In a corner of her mind, Minako trembled. But in her regal aura and on her face, nothing but pure power showed for the others to see.

And she smiled beautifully at them.

"Where they'll go tomorrow is of no concern of yours. Do not worry. Now excuse me, I'm rather hungry."

And she left her friends, her family, in the living room, sensing their swirling feelings – worry, fear, confusion – but not caring one bit.

And inside of her heart, in that corner not yet conquered by the primal force of her heritage, Minako cried.


	12. Cutting the strings of destiny

**Lineage**

_**Cutting the strings of destiny**_

* * *

_**A few hours ago. Amanos' property, Japan.**_

_Rei opened her eyes. The sun was rising._

_She saw Minako watching her from her seat, and she frowned._

"_You didn't sleep."_

"_Just a little," the idol quietly confessed._

_Rei sat down. Something seemed different in Minako. In her aura. Something was calmer, but strangely resigned at the same time._

"_What is it?" she asked softly._

_Minako offered her a soft and sad smile as she went to sit down on the bed._

"_I have something to ask you."_

"_What?"_

"_You're not going to like it."_

_That, Rei could have guessed._

"_First, I think you have a few things to explain."_

_Minako nodded._

"_Do you remember, when we were together, when I spent time on the phone or when I left the flat suddenly? At the time, the others led by Dan – a fact that I didn't know about until later, were already trying to force me to go to them. That's why I left so suddenly after you… decided to end our relationship. That, and Airi."_

"_But why run?" Rei asked, sighing. "It's not like you at all."_

"_No, it's not," Minako whispered. "But I didn't have a choice." She smiled sadly. "Isn't it always the problem? Choice? I can't be sure of who I am or what I'll do when I'm near one of th__ese people."_

"_You hate them," Rei understood suddenly, shocked._

"_Do I?" Minako asked, looking a little surprised. "Yes, maybe. I never told you about my mother. She was killed when I was nine. Then the killer set fire to the body and to our home. I lost everything that day. The killer is one of our charming kind. A childhood friend of my mom. I don't know his name. She died because she was my mother. Because of what I am. After her death, I didn't see any of the descendents for a while. Until our Senshi days ended. Random people would come to me, eager to meet me, to see the princess, to ask me when I'd lead them to their land. That's when I understood. When I knew that I was never going to be normal. That they'd never leave me alone."_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_

_But in truth, Rei knew. She might have done the same thing._

"_I couldn't," Minako confessed, her voice soft, her eyes on her hands. "They had already killed two people. They would have killed you. And if I had told you all that, I would have betrayed our first rule, that would have been enough for Dan to take wholly control of the others."_

"_Of course," Rei sighed._

_Minako smiled._

"_You still hate politics, huh?"_

"_All of that… Is that why you never told me about your past?"_

_Frowning, Minako shrugged._

"_Yes, a little. Well, the subject of my mother has always been difficult for me, and… and I couldn't talk about all that, so… As for Guri and Hikaru, I didn't see them a lot after I became an idol."_

"_But you still talked to them."_

_Minako looked at her, confused._

"_Yes, but they were often in the United States, and we never saw each other."_

"_When we were living together, you never talked about your parents or your childhood."_

"_That hurt you," Minako said softly, apparently just understanding it. "I'm sorry, it's just… It didn't seem important to me. And… you never talked about your friends to me either."_

"_What?" Rei asked, a little annoyed. "Of course I did."_

"_No, you didn't. You mentioned the friends you had at university when talking about your day. You mentioned the ones from Shinto shrines." Minako avoided her eyes. "You never talked to me clearly about them. About what you were doing together when you went out with them. You… you never invited them. Even if they were only a few streets away, you never introduced me to them, or them to me."_

_Frozen, Rei stayed silent for a few seconds. She had never thought that she could have hurt Minako in that aspect. Of course she knew that her desire to stay in the closet hadn't been shared by her partner then, but Minako had been patient and had accepted it. _

"_Rei…" The fragility in her voice spoke of hesitation, fear and sadness, and Rei felt it echoing in her own heart. "Did you talk about me to them sometimes?"_

_Rei struggled for a few seconds. She remembered that she had wanted to talk about Minako or about her happiness to her friends a few times, but something had always stopped her. She had been scared, scared of what it could mean for her life and for her tranquility if her sexuality and especially her love for idol Minako Aino were known._

_She had been scared, and too happy to stay in the dark. She had never thought that she had been dragging Minako along._

"_I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling horribly tired suddenly. "I wasn't ready to…"_

"_I know," Minako whispered. "I should have told you about my mother, at least. About my friends too. I…"_

"_What?"_

_Rei couldn't help but want to smile when she saw Minako blush lightly._

"_I would have been happy to go to galas and premières with you, you know."_

"_Oh? I…" Rei sighed. "I think I would have felt out of place."_

"_With me?" Minako asked, frowning._

"_No. Well, not really."_

"_What? It's just ceremonies, concerts or movies, you know"_

"_With limousines, paparazzi and journalists, stars and idols."_

"_And their partners. And officials and sometimes unknown people."_

"_Still, I don't think I would have felt at ease," Rei quietly said._

"_I don't understand."_

"_I'm not like you. I'm just… me."_

_Minako's eyes widened in understanding._

"_You… Is that why you never wanted to go with me? Are you kidding?"_

_Rei frowned and felt herself blush even more. Minako smiled suddenly. Her hand went to Rei's cheek, lightly touching the hot skin there._

"_I almost forgot how cute you can be," she whispered. _

"_I'm not cute," Rei protested, taking Minako's hand in hers._

"_Rei, you're a senator's only child, an heiress, an ex Shinto priestess, an highly intelligent and kind woman and you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met." Minako lowered her eyes. "I should have been the one feeling unworthy, being the average little orphan that just had a little luck."_

"_Don't say that. You're… you."_

_She hadn't found a better word to describe her. Minako smiled rather shyly, that same expression on her face that Rei had often seen on Airi these last few days._

"_It would have been nice to show you off," Minako confessed. "I would have loved that. And share that time with you too."_

_Rei didn't know what to say. Nor did she know what to do. She just kept holding Minako's hand in her own, her heart full of regrets._

_If only they hadn't been so stupid, they would never have ended there in the first place. _

"_If I had known you were feeling that way, I would have –"_

_Minako shook her head._

"_No, Rei. It's not your fault."_

"_I never wanted you to feel unimportant or unloved. I never wanted you to feel like I was ashamed of you or of our relationship."_

"_I never wanted you to feel that way too," Minako whispered. "I never wanted you to feel like I didn't trust you or couldn't tell anything to you because… because it couldn't be farer from the truth."_

_They stayed silent for a while, as the sun slowly entered the room._

"_Dan is Airi's father, isn't he?" Rei asked finally._

_Minako looked worried._

"_Yes. Does she… does she look like him?"_

"_No, not really. The hair, maybe. And the half Caucasian traits. But besides that, she's totally yours."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_For what?"_

"… _I'm not sure."_

"_Does he know?"_

"_Yes. But he doesn't really care. He's not the type to feel anything for anybody."_

"_Something is going to happen," Rei whispered, feeling the presentiment invade her mind._

_Minako nodded gravely._

"_I have something to ask of you."_

"_What?"_

"_When I'm near them, I'm not really myself. It's like something in me takes over, something that isn't totally me, something… alien. Something in my blood, in my energy is waiting, and I know that I can't fight it."_

"_What do you mean?" Rei asked, fearing the worst._

"_If I fled years ago, it's because I knew that I wouldn't be able to resist. I would have given them what they want, and worse. When I'm near them, I want to lead them, I become the princess I was born to be. It's like I'm just a vessel for something else, and… and it terrifies me," she confessed quietly, her voice trembling. "I won't be able to resist this need, Rei."_

"_You mean that there really is a promise land?" Rei asked, astounded._

_Tears entered Minako's gaze without leaking. _

"_I mean that if the princess in me takes over, I won't ever come back. I mean that this land that the Venusians set up centuries ago awaits them, but it could mean the end of the world as we know it."_

_Rei frowned._

"_The governments wouldn't accept that easily. And they wouldn't accept your royalty nor your powers without a fight."_

"_Earth is not ready to learn its true history. A new Golden Kingdom would push forces from other Systems to seek the knowledge of the late planet Venus, they would come here, they would start a war, and Earth is far from having the technology to defend itself. Thousands of people would die, millions maybe. And even if it doesn't happen, what are they hoping for? We're not enough to start a kingdom, other continents might not want to trade with us, how would we survive? When they thought of this plan, the Venusians never thought that the rebirth of the Senshi would come so late. It's too late. It's too late, and something in me still wants to wake up."_

"_Then leave," Rei said. "Maybe it's the only answer. Order them to leave you alone, and leave. I'll come with you."_

_Minako shook her head, pale._

"_I'm tired of running away. I can't spend my life doing that, I can't bring up Airi like that, and you can't leave all you love behind. I have to do something, I have to stop Dan once and for all. Without him, things would never have come to this."_

"_How will you stop him?"_

"_I'm not sure. But there is one thing that I'm sure of. I can't do that alone. Sooner or later, I will lose the battle against that part of myself and I'll become dangerous. I'll do anything to bring them to that damn lost kingdom. They don't understand, there's something in me that can't be controlled, that is violent and ancient and that won't bend to any rule."_

"_It's not you!"_

"_Maybe it's a part of me. Maybe… maybe it's really who I am."_

"_No, it's not, I know who you are, despite of your ancestors or of destiny!"_

"_But if it's not me, then who I am? What I am? Was I really born only to serve my purpose? To fight as a Senshi, and then to change to become this being that will lead this people without a care for this planet and the lives of all those innocents, and to die?"_

"_I don't know, but there is one thing that I am sure of. You love this planet and you would never willingly hurt someone. You're capable to sacrifice your life for them all."_

"_This person will disappear soon."_

"_How much time do you have before you… change?"_

"_Not long. Half a day, maybe."_

"_And after that?"_

"_I don't know. But if that happens, Rei, you will have to stop me. This kingdom can't be brought back, it would have disastrous consequences for everyone. We can't let it happen. You'll have to stop me, by _any_ means."_

"_What… what are you asking me?"_

"_Whatever will be necessary. Rei, if you have to hurt me to stop me, you have to promise me that you won't hesitate."_

"_What? I don't know if I –"_

"_Too many lives are at stake. You're a Senshi, you're my second in command, you're a guardian and you're my best friend. You have to do this."_

_Rei knew she didn't really have a choice. For the second time of her life, she felt powerless against life. _

"_Is it possible for you to take control back?"_

"_I don't know. I never lost control before. I'm just sure of one thing. There are only two people in this world that I would never hurt even under any kind of possession. Airi, and you."_

"_I can't do anything against your powers."_

"_But you can force me to use it."_

"_What? Are you crazy?!"_

"_No, you don't understand. I'm only human, and using this kind of powers is dangerous for me. If I use too much energy, I'll collapse."_

"_I don't like it."_

"_I don't like it either, but it's our only chance."_

"_I'll have to warn the others about it."_

"_Of course," Minako said, standing up._

_Rei followed her, looking at the bright sky. Another sunny morning._

"_You didn't want to know where Airi was going because you didn't want to be able to find her."_

"_She's my heir, the next one in line for the throne."_

"_It's going to be a long day."_

_Minako smiled without real humor._

"_No kidding."_

"_I should wake the others."_

"_Yes. I'm going to take a shower."_

_Rei caught Minako's wrist in her hand when the other woman turned._

"_What?" Minako asked curiously._

"_There's something I want to do, in case I don't get the chance to later."_

_Before Minako could even blink, Rei's lips were on her own and she could only passionately kiss her back. Rei drew her body more tightly against hers, and something in her heart broke._

_When they stopped kissing, none seemed willing to break the embrace. Rei tenderly brushed away the tears on Minako's cheeks. _

"_It's going to be alright," she whispered to the anxious woman._

_Minako hugged Rei tightly, her body trembling._

"_I think we should really stop lying to each other."_

_

* * *

_

Rei sighed.

Their plan had been stupid from the start.

Then again, they couldn't have guessed that Minako would lose control this fast.

"What do we do?" Ami asked quietly.

"We wait. We can't do anything right now."

Rei nodded to Nephrite.

"We have to see what she's going to do. We can't forget that Dan and the others are armed, and that he doesn't like us."

"We're in the middle of a potential crossfire," Artemis whispered. "And half of these people don't even know that they could be in danger."

"We have to protect them. It's what Minako tried to do all those years, we have to believe that she will continue to protect at least her people."

"Something tells me that odds aren't on our side," Nephrite remarked darkly. "After all, destiny certainly isn't."

These words rang strangely in Rei's mind. Her eyes widened.

"I wouldn't bet on that, Neph. I really wouldn't bet on that."

* * *

Rina could feel that something was really wrong.

The princess was talking with a few descendents right now, but since the morning Minako hadn't tried once to speak with her or with the others. They were the ones that had tipped her about Dan's moves and it wasn't like Minako not to go to them and to thank them.

And it was definitively not like her to ignore her friends to play the perfect princess.

Whispers were beginning to spread. The day they had been waiting for would surely be the day after. It was totally incongruous, Rina knew for a fact that Minako never wanted to bring them there. There wasn't a promise land. Was there?

What was happening?

It was almost as if somebody else was habiting the princess' body. And the fact that Mars, Mercury and the others seemed tensed and watched Minako like they would watch a timing bomb was doing nothing to reassure her.

As she passed near Dan and his allies, Minako let a humiliating remark pass her lips once again. She had been taunting the man all afternoon.

"He's furious," Kamiya noted.

"Dan? He seems in control."

"Not Dan."

Rina was not one of the last few with a developed empathy, but she trusted Kamiya's gift.

Just as she looked toward the others, she saw with horror Ren with a gun in his hand. The man next to him took his gun too, and both of them looked ready to use it. She didn't know what Minako had said to their leader, but they were furious.

With a rise of her hand and an eerie calm, Minako stopped Marie and two young men to come to her aid. She just smirked as everybody watched the scene.

"Well, Daniel, your little boys are jumpy."

Dan looked furious. He glared coldly at the two men and shook his head.

"Please, excuse them, your highness."

"They're pointing their guns on my people and me. This is treason."

"No, wait, princess –"

"Don't even try." The sudden coldness in her voice made the man next to Ren – Ishi – shut up. "You are both banished from our kind and our future."

Ren seemed ready to throw up. The gun in his hand was trembling.

Minako just smiled, and turned her eyes toward Dan.

"And you, their leader, you will share their fate."

"You can't do that," Dan whispered with rage.

She slowly approached him with a soft smile on her face, and stopped only when she was so close to him that she could kiss him. Dan didn't move, didn't say anything. He seemed totally entranced by her, by her presence, her seductive aura.

"Yes, I can," she murmured with a strange glee. She took a step back and looked at them coldly once more. "Leave."

"B… But…" Ren began, pale. He threw a glance at Dan, silently praying the man to help them, to keep his promises. "But…"

"I won't have in our kingdom men and women armed with guns and ready to kill my people. Killers and traitors won't be part of our future, I won't let you endanger our kind."

The bullet seemed to come from nowhere, but the rage and desperation on Ishi's face gave him away. Everybody gasped, some screamed, and then all froze, noticing that nobody seemed to have been shot.

That could easily be explained by the floating bullet just in front of the princess. She seemed to have stopped it just by raising her hand.

She smiled softly, looking amused and insulted at the same time.

"You really think that mere bullets would hurt me?"

Rina saw the other Senshi, standing on the side, near the house, exchange stupefied and worried gazes.

Even Dan seemed to be thrown off guard for the first time. He was looking at Minako with a flash of something akin to fright in his eyes. Apparently, he had never thought that this much power could be in the princess' hands.

"I said, leave."

Dan, Yamashi, Rui and two other men exchanged glances. Dan nodded, and Minako let the bullet fall on the grass harmlessly. But as Ren and Ishi hesitated to leave, Rui took a step toward Minako and the others and drew out her gun.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that!" she cried.

"Rui, no!" Her brother tried, before he quickly aimed his gun at the princess, fearing for his sister's life.

"What the hell?" Daniel spat at the woman, furious because of her initiative.

Seeing that the situation was about to degenerate, people began to take cover and move back. But Minako stayed calmly where she was, looking almost curiously at the scene.

"I can't let her do that to my brother. We waited for this all our life!"

"Rui, put the gun down!"

Ishi aimed his gun at Minako hesitantly, not knowing what to do anymore.

"Before you do anything," the princess said calmly, "I'd like to remind you that your gun and your bullets are in metal. Very bad news for you."

For a moment, everybody thought that things would stop there. But Ishi, knowing that he had nothing to lose, suddenly turned his gun toward Rui, surely in the hope that by defending the princess he would regain his honor. But the tensed woman, surprised, pulled the trigger, and in a second everybody seemed to imitate her.

Minako stopped the bullets coming toward her and the people near her with a flick of her hand, but she was unable to stop the one that Ishi fired at Ren, catching him in the chest. A flash of golden light suddenly came from the princess' hand and went straight to Ishi who fell down with a cry full of pain. Rui, sobbing, went to her brother, and, as panic and confusion reigned, Dan turned toward Minako's friends and pulled the trigger of his gun a few times.

With more speed than what should have been possible, the princess moved toward them as the bullet slowed down and then froze at her command. Rina watched as Dan took his last men and began to run toward the exit of the gardens while Minako was preoccupied with her friends.

The bullets had stopped a meter from them, one could have hit Nephrite, the other had been stopped just before touching Mars in the throat.

The princess' eyes seemed to narrow at that sight. She turned toward the fleeing men and threw one bullet back at them, catching one of them in the calf. She was about to flick her hand again when Hino stopped her.

"What are you waiting for?" Kamiya groaned toward others near them. He went to the two fallen men and signaled at three people near him. "Help me, we have to bring them to a hospital. You, keep an eye on that one," he ordered while nodding toward the sobbing Rui.

Rina sighed and shook her head.

She didn't know if that sort of things was what had scared the princess so much that she had run away from them, but it was enough for her to ask herself if it was really what their ancestors had wanted for them.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Rei snapped as Minako and the others entered the house behind her.

"Excuse me?"

"You knew things would come to this if you provoked them!"

Minako's eyes narrowed.

"You have nothing to say to me."

"Snap out of it!" Rei said. "Two men could die!"

"More have died for our cause."

"Your cause? Minako, this isn't _your_ cause! You don't want any of this!"

"What do you know? You're just a mere shadow of the warrior princess that once lived," Minako said with annoyance, looking at her as if Rei was just an insect on her path.

But Rei wasn't impressed. For she had seen in Minako's eyes the fear, the pain just a moment ago, when the bullets had nearly killed them. She had seen the plea in her eyes, just before the strength and coldness took over once more.

Minako was lost inside of her own mind, but she hadn't disappeared. And it was enough.

"You know this isn't right," Rei insisted. "This isn't you."

"This is who I am and who I was destined to be."

"No, it's not."

"You don't know anything. You should leave, all of you. Tomorrow we will all leave anyway. We will at last get back what's ours by right."

"You speak with words centuries old. There is nothing on this planet that is venusian anymore besides your origins. Nothing."

"Careful."

"What? You won't do anything to us."

"My priority is my people."

"Really? And Airi?"

Minako blinked, something strange alit in her eyes.

"Airi will come with us. She's my heir, one day she'll have to lead them all."

"Airi isn't a leader, she isn't a princess," Rei protested quietly. "She's just a shy little girl who loves her mom and her dog, who loves strange things and gives stones instead of flowers because she found them more pretty."

"Airi is my heir. And I will find her."

"No, you won't."

When Minako advanced menacingly toward her, Rei didn't move.

"You have no idea of who I am."

"At least _I_ know that you're too intelligent to have entrusted your daughter to people that you would find so easily."

"She'll come with us."

"You won't find her in time." Rei looked into her eyes calmly, sure that the fear she found there wasn't the princess's but Minako's. "What is more important for you? Your daughter, or your kingdom?"

Minako stayed silent, and Rei could almost imagine the struggle inside of her mind.

But it wasn't enough, and the fear disappeared to be replaced by an eerie confidence.

"I have to say that the Senshi of Mars would have little to envy you, Rei Hino. You don't lack courage. Or stupidity."

She chuckled and left the room, and Rei sighed.

"At least you tried," Ami whispered sadly.

Artemis shook his head.

"I should have known. What can we do now? She's not even herself, and she's too powerful for us."

"Don't be such a pessimist," Nephrite snapped, and everybody gazed at him with surprise. "She saved our lives and the lives of these people. She didn't kill any of them, even if it was clear that something in her wanted just that. And Rei touched something in her just now. Minako isn't that far away from the surface. Besides, she looked pale and tired, and that can play in our favor. I didn't take a few days off of work just to leave empty handed. We _are_ going to bring that stubborn girl home, even if I have to knock her out, carry her over my shoulder and fight all these freaks out there."

Ami beamed at him as the others blinked silently.

* * *

The sun was setting.

Everybody was preparing for bed outside, Rei could see them enter the tents. Kamiya had come back with news on the two hurt men. One was in a life or death situation, while the one Minako had thrown a _Crescent Beam_ at should have more luck even if the wound would hurt him for weeks.

She sighed and went toward the living room. She waited for Minako to end her conversation with Rina and another man and went to her.

"You look exhausted."

"I am not," Minako replied testily.

"Fine."

"You're here to try and dissuade me to help them?"

"I never did that. I think you can help them and not throw all your principles to hell."

"I am born for that. That's my destiny."

"Your destiny is to help people, Minako! It always was about that!"

"Exactly. My mother raised me with love and with something in her eyes akin to adoration. She called me her princess, and she talked to me about a bright future, friends as special as me that I would meet and people that would surround me when the time would come. She knew who I was and she raised me toward this goal."

"This isn't true," Rei whispered, trying desperately to find something to bring her Minako back. "Why would someone of your kind kill your mother if she was doing just that? Why?"

Minako frowned.

"We had moved to London. She said she needed to go there for her job. She always said to me not to talk with strangers, especially if they acted as if they knew me."

"Your mother was trying to protect you," Rei said. "Don't you see? She didn't want them to interfere in your life, and she may have been against you becoming their –"

"My mother wasn't a traitor!" Minako warned her coldly. "She taught me everything, she loved our history and she was proud of her blood!"

"She surely was, it doesn't mean she was ready to see her daughter be sacrificed! And they killed her because she was preserving your innocence!"

"You don't know anything!"

"Actually, she is right."

Minako and Rei turned toward the voice. Daniel Johns smiled coldly at them.

"You have the nerve to come back!" Minako stated.

"I wouldn't be too arrogant if I were you, Venus." He smiled while showing a little black command in his hand. "I had a few hours to put a few charges near the tents."

"I didn't sense you."

"I learnt a thing or two about suppression of aura while running after you these last years. If you try something against me, some people will die."

"You bastard!"

"I want you to take back the sentence."

"Never!"

"I have nothing to lose. Be careful."

"I killed you once, I will do it again!"

"I know that. But I won't let you build this new kingdom without me."

"You're nothing."

"I am the father of your child, and if you won't tell me what I want to know, then she will."

Minako had him up against the wall before he could blink, her hand squeezing his throat.

"Don't even think of mentioning her again. She's _my_ baby."

"Minako, let him go," Rei stressed, seeing him ready to push the button. "Mina!"

The princess threw him with such force that the man passed through a window. Minutes later, everybody was looking at the scene as Minako walked toward a shaken Daniel outside.

Shaken, but not down.

He stood up with a sick smile on his lips.

"Nobody moves!" He warned, showing off the detonator he had in his hand.

Axel made a move, anger in his eyes, but Minako shook her head.

"It's too late, Dan. You lost."

"Really? Which one of us has won then, V? You? The poor little girl without a father, like so many of us before her? The poor orphan that saw her mother be killed because of her destiny? The poor dying child that almost never could accomplish said destiny? The lying and deceiving woman she has grown up to become? You are as lost now as you were when you were ten, alone and scared, or when you were fourteen, sick and lonely, with nobody to hold your hand! You want to know what I see when I look at you? It's not a princess that I look at. Just a little child that never had a chance to begin with and that never could choose her own future!"

A chain of light and metal appeared in her hand and went to imprison the man's body tightly. He didn't try to fight.

"What do you know about life?" she asked coldly. "As a teen, you already tried to destroy people and that planet. You never loved anything or anybody in this life, never. I may have only been a prisoner of this existence, and I may die as such. But I've been happy, even for a few moments. I've loved. I've fought for what I believe in. All you love is power."

"Face it, Venus," he chuckled. "You're just a puppet. You were one for the ghost of Queen Serenity and her daughter, and for that good old Artemis, you were one for your manager and label, and today, you are one for the late venusian royalty and these idiots that don't even understand what they are doing. You were a puppet since day one of your life, and you'll stay a puppet until your death."

"Then I'll cut my strings," she said, but something in her voice seemed darker than before, angrier, more desperate.

It seemed more human.

"Tell me, where is our land?" he asked with a smirk. "Tell me, or I'll kill them all."

"Move, and I'll cut you in pieces."

"Then your precious little girl will tell me."

"She doesn't know anything," Minako said with a smirk. Her smile widened when she heard the gasps of the descendents and saw the stupefaction in Dan's eyes. "That's right. She knows _nothing_."

"Im…impossible."

"Why? Because I'm a puppet? You never thought that the puppet could have had a sudden rush of desire for revolt? I never told her anything about her origins. I never taught her our rules and our laws. I told her _nothing_."

Rei felt hope swell in her chest. That wasn't the princess talking. That was Minako.

"That's unheard of," someone whispered.

Minako smiled sweetly, her eyes never leaving Dan.

"I hate to be unoriginal about things I do."

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill them," Daniel repeated once more, with more anger, more desperation.

"Why do you think I care?" Minako replied.

"They're your people."

"Yes, they are," Minako whispered. Her aura flared up suddenly. "And I banished you."

The princess had come back. Rei almost groaned out loud. This was taking too long, she could feel the exhaustion in Minako as the chain asked of her more and more energy.

"This won't stop me. Your sentences won't stop me."

"Sentences?" Minako asked, eyes narrowing. "I only banished you once."

"As Daniel Johns. But I was first exiled because of the acts of my father."

"What do you mean?"

Having nothing to lose, he laughed.

"My real name is Daniel Jefferson."

People around them seemed to know that name, but Minako just looked uncertain.

"And?"

Axel took a few steps toward his princess.

"My father banished Robert Jefferson and his descendents for murder," he informed her quietly.

"Why does this name mean nothing to me?"

"He was banished a few years ago, the last one to be and the first one since a century. Robert Jefferson was… he murdered your mother."

The chain seemed to shine more golden, leaving cuts on Daniel's legs and arms before disappearing entirely. The man fell to the ground as Minako looked at him with shock and rage.

"That's right," he said hoarsely. "I'm the son of your mother's killer."

"If exile doesn't work, then death will."

With a flick of her hand Minako called Venus' dagger to her. The short sword appeared in a flash of light as the woman advanced toward the now unconscious man.

Rei ran toward her to try and stop her. She took her by the arm and shook her head.

"Don't!"

"Leave me be!"

"Don't kill him!"

"This is our laws, Rei! You can't understand."

"This is not you!"

"His father killed my mother! Daniel destroys everything around him, people became killers because of him, he killed at least two of my people!"

"They are not your people!"

"They are! I'll lead them toward our land, I'll bring them the peace they've waited for!"

"Minako, look at me! This isn't you! And even if it were, would you want that kingdom to be built in blood?"

"I didn't choose. They did. They chose to come after me, to follow that murderer, to chase me like some animal! If they want a kingdom, I will bring them one, even if it's bloody and apocalyptic!"

At least, that was more Minako than the princess, Rei decided.

"And what of Airi? Your mother died because she wanted to protect you, and you protected Airi from all that madness! You didn't want that, you never wanted it! Think of your daughter!"

"Airi never had a normal life to begin with!"

"You never had one either. But that can change. Please, Mina, I know that you're not a killer. You love this world despite of everything, you love people."

"But…" Minako hesitated, her grip on the powerful dagger shaking. "But I'm supposed to… It's my destiny."

"You were and you will stay the leader of the Senshi," Rei said, relieved to see that at last Minako seemed to be winning. She saw Mamoru come toward Dan to take the detonator from his limp hand. "What is the role of the Senshi, Minako?"

"Protect the people, the princess and Earth."

"Tell me then, how can all this," Rei made a gesture toward the astounded people around them and the bleeding man behind her, "can be your destiny, if you're the reincarnation of Sailor Venus and if you're supposed to protect this planet? If you're supposed to be the guardian of light and love, a protector of happiness and peace?"

Minako frowned, and suddenly her eyes widened, they became clearer. She looked at Daniel being tied down by two men, and then at the people that were watching her with sad eyes.

She looked at them all for a few seconds, trembling and exhausted, and she shook her head.

"Is this what you want?" she asked them, before speaking more loudly. "Is this," she pointed at Dan with her sword, "the future you want? For our kind? For yourself? For your children? And what after that? What will you do? What will happen to you, to your friends, to your families? If I didn't taught all this rules to my daughter, it's because I didn't want her to feel different like we've all felt in our life. I didn't want her to have to lie and hide truths at such a young age. I didn't want her to feel like a stranger on her own planet, in her own country."

She sighed, and the dagger vanished.

"You want to know the truth about the legend? Because it's what it is: a legend!" She pointed her finger at the sky. "This star is our ancestors' planet, and it's our kingdom! It doesn't exist anymore, that culture and that kingdom died long ago. What's left of it is you, it's in you. This is your land. _This_," she gestured around her, "is your planet! It's there that you, your children, your parents and your ascendants were born, it's were you grew up and made friends. Earth is your home, and you are humans. You're not perfect, and Earth is imperfect. But it's a beautiful place, with beautiful people on it and… and if you can't see that, then I'm sorry, because that is the promise land that our ancestors sought when they had nowhere else to go. That's what the legend meant."

People looked at her. Some had tears in their eyes, other even seemed relieved. All seemed at least sad, but Rei couldn't know if they were sad for Minako or for themselves because they were disappointed or ashamed.

"But…" a woman said softly, hesitantly. "You still are the more legitimate heir on this planet. All the royal families are dead."

Minako seemed ready to throw up, her whole body was shaking. Rei went to her as Mamoru advanced and stopped in front of them all. Minako threw him a thankful look, relieved.

"No, she is not. I am," he said, his voice strong but warm. "My name is Mamoru Chiba. And if Earth still were a little planetary kingdom, I would be the king and the leader of its people, as the new Endymion. I am from the oldest earthling bloodline. Minako is one of yours, she fought for this planet, and she fought for you. She has now told you the truth and the answers you were seeking."

"Please," Minako said softly, "I want you to remember that. I want you to listen to me, because these will be the only and the last orders that I will give you. The rule about secrecy can now be broken if you want to tell the truth to the person you love, and if you aren't scared that they will believe you are crazy, of course. You can teach your children our ways, but you can do it only when you think them ready for it. And please, enjoy your life. Stop waiting. Just… live."

"Mina!"

Rei caught her just before her head touched the ground. She took her in her arms, frowning with worry when she saw tears leaking from her glassy eyes and blood seeping from her mouth. Minako coughed, her breathing difficult, her skin too pale.

"Minako?"

"I don't feel well," the woman whimpered softly.

"It's going to be okay."

"It hurts, Reiko."

She coughed again, more blood falling from her mouth as Mamoru and Ami came to examine her.

"R…Rei…"

"I'm here, I won't leave you. It's okay. Where does it hurt?"

"I don't know. Rei!"

"I'm right here. Hold on."

"I'm so sorry," the woman weakly sobbed.

"Shh, please."

"I never wanted… t – to hurt you…"

"I never wanted to hurt you. But you'll see, everything will be fine now."

"I feel… so tired. So tired, Rei."

Minako's eyelids were closing.

"Please, stay with me." Rei ignored her own tears and tried to mentally reach out for Minako. "Please, Mina…"

"If only… we could have done things differently," Minako cried softly, pain in her voice. She coughed more blood. "If only I could be just me."

"Don't worry, you'll be your annoying and hyperactive self in no time, you'll see. Mina? Minako?!"

"I… I'd like to… have a home again. It would have been great. To… to have a real home, like everybody else… Airi… Airi would have loved it…"

"You'll have a home, I promise, come on, stay with me!"

"We have to bring her to a hospital," Ami stressed. "The extensive use of her powers seems to have provoked interne damages, her fever is dangerously high. Hold on, Mina."

"It would h – have been nice… not… to have to hide or… run away… not to have to be always so scared…" Minako whispered, her eyes closing.

Mamoru gently took her in his arms to carry her, murmuring a few soothing words to her when she winced in pain, just before she lost consciousness.

"We have to be fast, she may not survive," he declared as Nephrite opened the car door for them.

"Can we do –"

Rei turned toward the man who spoke and resisted the urge to hit him.

"Don't you think you all have done enough?" she asked coldly, her eyes burning. "Go home, and never come near her again!"

She went into the car and, as Nephrite led them away and sped toward the nearest hospital, Rei tried to keep the hope burning in her heart.

She prayed that Dan had been wrong in his prediction, and that Minako wouldn't die like that, before she could live freely again.

But as she held Minako's limp and nearly lifeless hand into her own, she felt the coldness seeped into her heart, and she trembled.


	13. Here we are, after that storm

**Lineage**

_**Here we are, after that storm**_

"Any news?"

"Not good," Mamoru sighed as he sat down near Nephrite. "Ami said that the operation was a success, but that it doesn't mean that Minako is saved. She's in a deep coma and she's very weak."

"Rei?"

"She went back to the hotel, she was sleeping on her feet, I told her that I would stay here and call her if something happens. It's been two days, she needs to rest. You should go find Ami and get some sleep at the hotel too."

Nephrite nodded, his exhaustion clear on his face.

"Ok."

He stood up, yawned and sighed.

"I'll call Motoki and Mako on the way there. Do you know when we'll be able to go back to Tokyo?"

"They said not before tomorrow afternoon. Minako is going to be transferred then."

"Ok. See you later."

* * *

"Want to read it?" Makoto asked as she showed the newspaper she held in her hand to Rei.

The other woman scowled, pushing her empty cup of coffee away from her on the table of the hospital's cafeteria in Tokyo.

Makoto shrugged in response and threw the paper away.

"It's been a week. We knew it would happen."

"I was hoping that a private hospital would be more respectful of privacy."

"Someone from the last hospital must have talked to the press. In the article they say Minako was transferred here a few days ago and that she wasn't living in Tokyo before. The article is mostly nice. A few rumors on her health and whereabouts of the last years, but that's all. They wish she gets well soon."

"Hmm. Where's Usa?"

"She left with Luna and Artemis. The poor guy needed to leave this hospital. When are you going back to work?"

"In two days," Rei sighed.

"You need it. You need to live your life, you can't stay here all the time."

"I'm not here all the time."

"True. And we're here too. But Minako would hate us being here all the time, you know that."

"Yeah," Rei said, rolling her eyes. "What can we do, though? We're the only ones besides Amachachi and Sugao to have the authorization to come see her."

"Yep. Speaking of family, you said you had news on Airi?"

"Yes, Hikaru called, they saw the news on Minako, they're on their way to Japan. They'll be there tonight."

"It's good. Do you think Airi should come see Minako? It could scare her to see her mother like that."

"I don't know. It's not like we know her well. Besides, Gurikazu and Hikaru will have to decide."

"Fortunately for us. I wouldn't like to have to decide something like that for the little one."

"Hmm," Rei agreed. "It must not be easy for them. Apparently Airi had trouble adapting. When she woke up to find herself on a plane without her mom she cried for hours and panicked. Now she doesn't talk at all to them, except when it's really necessary."

"It must have been difficult, being suddenly separated from her mother like that and alone with almost strangers. Poor little thing."

Rei nodded silently. She didn't want to think about the fact that Minako didn't seem ready to wake up, didn't seem getting any better. The doctors weren't optimists about her future.

Later, Rei went to see Minako for a few more minutes. She took her limp hand in hers, listened to the noise of the monitoring and watched the pale woman breathe slowly. It was hard to see her like this, hard to think that maybe it would be the last image she would have of her before…

No.

She couldn't think like that. Minako wasn't dead.

Airi needed her mother, she needed her family. She couldn't grow up with the thought that the last she saw of her mother was that messy goodbyes in front of the Amano's house.

And Rei…

Rei needed to have closure on what had happened between Minako and her years ago, and on what had happened between them days ago.

She had kissed her. Because… well, because even if her mind told her it might be a big mistake, her heart and soul told her that Minako was all she needed to be happy, to be whole. Love wasn't rational, it was like fear, like rage, it was there before we could understand it and it didn't need the assurances of reason.

She wasn't sure that Minako still loved her. She didn't know if they could have a future together. There were so many things that had changed. Rei had changed. She loved her work, her flat, her friends and her life. Minako had changed so much. She didn't live in Tokyo anymore, and there was Airi.

Too many things had happened in too little time, and now, Minako might die. It was so unfair, but so very much like life.

But no matter if they could or couldn't be together. Minako didn't deserve this. She deserved to have the chance to live and to be happy.

She deserved to wake up and be fine.

"Airi is on her way. She's well, but she's lost and sad. She needs you." Rei sighed. She found it silly to talk to Minako like that, but she couldn't stand the silence and inertia. "I have to go, but I'll come back soon. Please, fight."

* * *

"Do… do you want something to eat?"

Airi didn't say anything. She kept watching Tokyo behind the car's window with wonder and worry.

"No?" Rei asked again. "Ok."

The woman quietly sighed, stopping her car at a red light. She was nervous. Scared. Terrified.

And Artemis, that little…

He should have come! He knew Airi since her birth, at least he knew her better than Rei knew that child! But no, Luna and Artemis had decided that Rei needed this time alone with the little girl to learn to live together.

Apparently, Minako had followed all the necessaries procedures in case of something like this were to happen. Hikaru and Gurikazu had called the social authorities about Airi's case only to find out that a legal guardian had been named by Minako for her child if she couldn't take care of Airi herself.

And that guardian was Rei Hino.

Rei didn't know how to take it. She didn't know what to make of it, and she didn't have the time to think about it.

After several meetings with different officials, her situation had been deemed correct and Airi Chiyoko Aino had been put in her care for the time being.

It was a lot of responsibilities.

It was stressful.

Rei loved children and she was used to deal with them, and she loved Airi.

That didn't mean that she was ready to take care of her fulltime under the circumstances.

She parked under her building and helped Airi get out of the car.

"Can you take that little bag?"

Airi nodded and took it while Rei carried the two bigger black bags.

"Come on."

Once in the flat, Rei led the little girl in her guests' bedroom and let the bags there. It was a nice room, with a low bed, wood furniture and peaceful colors.

"I know it's very different from what you had at the manor, but you'll be fine here. My room is behind the door after the bathroom."

Airi looked around her.

"It's fine," she said quietly.

"It's smaller."

"It's ok. I don't have many things in those bags anyway, and one of them is full of mommy's things."

The silence stretched, and both Airi and Rei didn't know how to end it. Finally, the woman sighed.

"I know it must be complicated for you."

"It is for you too."

"But it's going to be okay, you know?"

"Is mommy going to be sick for long?"

"I… I hope not."

"Rei…"

"What?"

Airi raised her big caramel eyes toward her, her round face full of fear and sadness. Her bottom lip was trembling, her gaze filling with tears.

"Mommy's going to be fine, right? She's going to wake up?"

Rei opened her mouth, but no sound came from her throat. She was tired, and stressed, and she feared that she might cry if she tried to speak. She knelt down and hugged the little child closely against her.

"I don't know, Airi," she finally confessed.

"But she doesn't want to leave me, right?"

"Oh, sweetie," Rei whispered warmly to Airi's sobs. "Your mother loves you, even if she's very sick, she loves you so much, I'm sure of that. I'm sure that she's fighting with all her strength because she misses you and she wants to come back to you."

"I miss her too."

* * *

"Who do you think it is?" Rei asked quietly to Berger.

The dog raised its head but didn't move from an old blanket that Rei had put near her couch for him. Motoki had brought the dog the evening before after Rei had obtained the necessary authorization from her landlord. Airi would have a good surprise when she would wake up. She had fallen asleep early, having not slept much this last week and being exhausted because of her travels and her tears.

Rei sighed and stood up, leaving her laptop on her desk. She had been closing up a few of her cases from work before taking another leave of a week. Luckily she was rather friend with her boss and he had respect for her. The exceptional situation she was in had also played in her favor.

She opened her door only to narrow her eyes at the man.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Axel Suwa didn't look scared, merely nervous.

"I know it's rather early, I'm sorry to bother you, miss Hino. But I was hoping to entrust this to you."

Rei took the bag from him with surprise and suspicion. Inside, she found five notebooks. Diaries.

"What is that?" she asked curiously, her suspicion still clear in her tone.

"My father had them. I don't really know where he found them, I think he may have taken them from Johns after Chiyoko - Minako's mother, was killed. It's hers, and I think that the princ – I mean, I think that Minako would like to have them. They may be the last things from her mother, and… I wanted to give it to her since I found it, but things… were complicated."

Rei nodded.

"I'll give it to her."

"Is she better?" he asked, genuinely worried.

"She's been in a coma since the operation," Rei quietly informed. She sighed, found the strength to say the words out loud. "She's still weak, we don't know if she's going to make it."

"Oh," the man said. "I… I'm sorry. We didn't know, I never wanted that."

"I know. I know. Thank you for the diaries."

He nodded, looking preoccupied, thanked her and left. Rei closed the door and went to sit down, putting the diaries on the coffee table. She petted the dog at her feet and tried to forget her exhaustion. She hadn't slept much the last few days, every time she closed her eyes a nightmare woke her up.

"You look sad, Berger," Rei whispered to the dog. "Are you down because you miss Minako?"

A little whimper was her only answer.

* * *

"You'll stay with uncle Neph and aunt Ami until I come back, okay?"

Airi nodded, her Temis closely held against her heart, Artemis, Luna and Berger near her.

"You will tell her I love her?"

"Of course I will," Rei assured her warmly. "And I will give her your drawing, I promise. And tomorrow you're going to see her too, okay?"

"Okay," the girl whispered.

"Hey," Nephrite called softly, pushed by Ami. "If you want to watch TV, I found those for you."

He showed her the two DVDs he had in his hands, it was her favorites, _Lilo and Stitch _and _Nightmare Before Christmas._

Airi nodded and went to him after a last look at Rei. Their day had been nice, at least Rei thought so. They hadn't talked much, but they had played two games together and then Rei had taken Airi to Hikawa Shrine and a few spots in Tokyo she thought the girl might like. Airi loved the shrine, she was not really fond of big cities like her mother, she apparently liked the country and trees a lot more, so Rei had finally taken her to a park before going to Ami's and Nephrite's.

Once in the hospital, Rei didn't even try to talk with the doctor. She already knew by Ami that there was no change. She entered the room and went to sit down near the bed.

"Hey," she said softly when the silence became too much. "Still sleeping, V? It's getting old, you know?" She sighed, and shook her head. "Why?" she whispered. "Why me, Minako? Why not Sugao, or Amachachi, or Hikaru? They could have taken good care of her. I don't understand, we were… Things ended so messily between us and… Why didn't you tell me when I went to see you when Airi was a baby? I'm sure you already had taken that decision then. But, if you had told me… I wouldn't have taken it well, I think. Were you scared of that? I don't understand… There are so many things I don't understand about you sometimes."

Rei watched Minako for a while. She was pale. With all those machines around her, she almost looked dead, and it was terrible to have to be there, next to her. But Rei would never leave her.

"Airi slept well. She was better this morning. Oh, I let her the bedside's lamp on, of course. She ate correctly too. But she's scared, you know? She's in this big city with almost strangers and without you, and she's scared. When she talks, she asks about you. So I told her I would bring her there tomorrow. I don't know if you would want her to see you like this, but… I think she needs it. To see that you're still here. So, it would be good to wake up before tomorrow, see? Oh, there, she drew you something."

Rei took the drawing and looked at it curiously, with a little smile.

"It's… well, Airi's style."

Unsure of where the top was supposed to be, Rei put the colorful work on the bedside table deciding that the strange dark rocks were supposed to be on the bottom.

"Here. You should see that, it's… interesting." She chuckled softly. "I haven't the slightest idea of what it could be. Could you tell me, if you were awake?"

Minako didn't move. Of course.

Rei's eyes softly filled with burning tears. Not knowing what to do, how to react, what to feel, she just stood up and left, and somehow, inside of her heart, she found anger.

She found desperation.

And she hated herself.

* * *

"Rei? R… Rei?"

Rei opened her eyes, confused. She was in her living room, she must have fallen asleep on her couch.

"Rei?"

Someone sniffed near her, and she turned her head to see Airi in her Stitch pajamas, fidgeting in front of the coffee table. It was one in the morning.

"What is it, sweetie?"

Airi didn't raise her eyes to her, and her hands wriggled.

"I… the room is all dark. I'm scared of the monsters."

Rei looked behind the little girl, and found the hallway in the dark.

"Temis is still there," Airi whispered, her voice trembling.

Rei went to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm going to see what happened, I'm sure it's only the lamp that needs changing. Stay with Berger, ok?"

It was indeed the lamp, Rei would have to go buy a new one later. She took Temis and went to Airi.

"Here. You see? He's fine. There isn't any monster here, Airi."

"But in the dark, the evil ghosts use the shadows to come and get you."

Rei frowned.

"I can assure you that there isn't any ghost here. There is nothing in the darkness, I promise."

"And what of the faeries? They come and steal your socks so you have only one of each and they hide your things so you can't find them anymore."

Rei blinked silently, and finally lightly shook her head.

"Err… what? No, I'm sure that faeries don't do that."

"Ah?" Airi asked suspiciously. "Then how do you explain that sometimes you lose one sock, or that your things disappear, or that the darkness moves while you look at it?"

"It's… I… don't know, but faeries and monsters don't exist. I'm sure of that, and sometimes we're distracted and we lose things, it happens."

As if she was scolding an ignorant little child, Airi sighed and crossed her arms, squeezing Temis against her chest.

"And you go out often with socks in your hands or in your bag to lose it somewhere? Or you put it behind furniture often?"

"Hum, no?"

"Exactly. See! You're just like mommy! Temis, Berger and I, we know what really happens."

"Okay…"

Rei didn't know what to say. She didn't want to hurt the child's feelings and she found herself rather amused by Airi's ideas.

"Rei?"

"What?"

Airi looked down.

"Could I… sleep in your bed? Please?"

"Of course," Rei said, smiling softly. "But not every night, right? Your mommy told me she wanted you to be a big girl."

"Yes. Just tonight."

"Come on."

Once Rei had changed in her pajamas, she laid down beside Airi and let one lamp on.

"What?" she asked when she noticed that Airi wasn't sleeping, but watching her.

Having been caught, Airi reddened.

"I like your hair," she confessed, whispering. "It's pretty."

"Thanks," Rei smiled. "I like your eyes."

"I have mommy's eyes."

"Yep."

"How was she when you met her?"

"Oh. She was fourteen and… strong, but fragile. Lonely, but rather happy. Too mature and serious, but she was also playful and mischievous. She was always teasing me and playing silly jokes on me."

"She's fun," Airi said with sweet enthusiasm. "She taught me a lot of jokes. We always scare uncle Atis with them."

Oh, great.

"We should agree on something."

"What?"

"Never play tricks on me."

"Ok," Airi agreed seriously. "Mommy was nice despite of her celebrity?"

"Well, yes. She stayed altruistic, at least, and she was mostly nice, but when she didn't like someone she could be nasty. But she was also very proud, very sure of herself and she always wanted to be right and to win. She was a little spoiled, you know. Sometimes she was annoying because of that, but she was still a sweet child, I guess. But when I was a teen, I found her mostly annoying."

"But you were in love with her."

Rei smiled.

"No. Well, maybe, but you know, it doesn't really work that way. We were young, and things were complicated. She was occupied most of the time, so we saw each other only when she went to the shrine, often without calling first. We fought a lot, but it wasn't because we didn't like being with each other, it was rather because we didn't know how to act around each other. We were too proud."

"You didn't love her?"

"Well, maybe, but I wasn't really aware of it. Maybe I knew, in my heart, but my mind didn't really understand it. We were young, and Minako was an idol, she was… well, Minako, and she was a girl."

Airi giggled.

"That was weird?"

"A little," Rei admitted with a little smile. "But we grew up, and things changed."

"How?" Airi asked, just before cutely yawning.

"Well, for a while we didn't see each other often, because your mom was very busy with her career and I was at the time training in a Shinto shrine near Kyoto. And then Usagi and Mamoru married, and we had to come back for the marriage."

"Oh, you fell in love during a marriage?" Airi asked avidly, before grimacing a little. "That's a little too romantic."

"Really?" Rei chuckled. "At least it was then that things began to change. I was hurt because of… err, an accident, and your mother and I fought over this, but I think we were finally mature and old enough to accept our feelings. We saw each other a lot more during a few months, and I decided to go to university, and your mom was very supportive of my choice and never doubted me. She spent more time in Tokyo, and we were almost always together, really, she was often at my flat or I was at her hotel suite every time we had free time."

"How old were you?"

"I was twenty, your mother was nineteen. And then we began our relationship."

"Who kissed who first?"

"She kissed me of course. She then complained that I was being too gallant and too slow and that she finally couldn't help herself." Rei rolled her eyes. "That it was my fault. It was rather cute, because I think it was the first time I saw her blushing and stammering. But I was way redder than her."

Airi giggled.

"She kissed you like that?"

"Well, Minako isn't one to have much patience. But if she were here, she would contradict me saying that she stopped herself from kissing me for years and that it means she has a lot of patience."

"That sounds like mommy."

"After we got together, all seemed more luminous. Between us, and in life. All seemed more… I don't know. Interesting. Easier. Yeah, a lot easier. Funnier too."

"You missed her when she was gone?"

"Always."

"And when you two broke up?"

Rei sighed.

"Yes, but it wasn't the same."

"Do you miss her now?"

"Yes," Rei whispered. She felt tired, and she saw that Airi's eyes were closing on their own accord. "We should sleep a little. Tomorrow I will make you my hot chocolate special."

"Special?"

"Yep. You'll see, you'll love it. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Rei," the little girl mumbled, and Rei had not seen her this peaceful since the Amanos brought her back to Japan.

It reassured her. Airi seemed to like her and be at ease with her, it must mean that she was doing things right.

It must mean that Minako wasn't as crazy as Rei had thought. But it certainly didn't mean that Rei was ready to have to raise the child from now on.

* * *

"Rei made a hot chocolate special for me," Airi said quietly to her unconscious mother. She was kneeled on a chair near the bed and looked scared to touch Minako even if Rei had said that it was okay to hold her hand. "It had whipped cream, little sweets on it, and marshmallows too, and it was really good. You would love it. Or maybe she could make you a coffee special? Berger misses you. He wants you to come back. And aunt Luna said that Uncle Atis is all quiet because he's sad that you're sick. And… and I miss you too, mommy. I'm a big girl, and I try, but… but I…"

"Hey," Rei whispered, putting an arm around the crying little girl. "It's going to be alright."

"She's all quiet."

"What?"

"I can't feel anything, even if she doesn't have the stone."

Rei had taken Venus' stone from Airi when she had asked her if she could remove it. Airi wasn't used to the absence of her gifts and hated it, so Rei didn't see any reason to force her to live without them now that things were calmer.

"It's because she's sleeping really deeply."

"But her aura is still bright…" Airi softly cried. "I don't like it."

"I know. I don't like it either."

"It's like she's not here anymore."

Rei took the little girl in her arms and shook her head.

"I know that she's till there somewhere, I can feel it."

"Really?"

"Really. Your mother isn't the type to lose easily. She's fighting, I'm sure of it."

"But…"

Airi fell quiet suddenly, her tears calming. She turned her head toward her mother, and Rei knew she hadn't dreamt.

"What was that?" Airi whispered, almost frightened.

Rei, who also had felt that sudden surge of warmness and brightness coming from Minako's aura, frowned. The manifestation of power and conscience had disappeared almost as soon as it had made itself known.

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"Is it good?"

It would have been, if the manifestation had lasted. But the speed with which it had vanished could mean something far less positive.

"Rei?"

"Come on, we should go. Usagi must be waiting for us."

* * *

"R… Rei? Rei?"

"Yes. Please, calm down. Try to breathe slowly, there, slowly."

"What… happened?" she whispered hoarsely, confused, disoriented.

Rei took her hand.

"You were fighting the doctors and nurses, they couldn't hold you down so they called me. You were panicking."

Minako frowned, blinked a few times, her breathing forced. She was still very weak and couldn't sit down.

"Where… what… happened? Rei…"

Worried, Rei signaled to the doctor to stay back and leave them alone for a while before she sat down on the edge of the bed, Minako's hand still in hers. She had felt the sudden rush of power in her mind, and it had woken her up before the call from the hospital. For a second, she had thought that it had meant the worse, that Minako had died.

But it had been the opposite, and she had rushed here as fast as she had been able to.

"What do you remember?"

Minako seemed totally lost. Her gaze held nothing as she tried visibly to clear her mind.

"I…"

Tears began to fall on her cheeks. Rei stayed calm, her voice soothing.

"It's okay. It's okay, Minako."

"We were at the manor, and then… Hikaru, but they… they went away… Airi! Where's Airi!"

Stopping her from moving by putting her hands on Minako's shoulders, Rei suddenly found out why the men from the medical team had had so much trouble holding the frail woman down.

Minako's strength was impressive.

"Please, stop! Airi is fine!"

Minako had stilled, still looking a little disoriented.

"Is she? Where are they?"

Rei straightened.

"The Amanos had to go back to Los Angeles. Airi is currently with Artemis and Luna at home. She's surely sleeping soundly."

"Wh… what? At home?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What home? God, what am I doing here? Why am I in a hospital _again_?"

"Look at me, hey, Minako, look at me. You're confused because of the drugs, and you're still recovering. You almost died, but you'll be okay."

"What?" Minako frowned. "I remember the others. Daniel… and… Oh no," she paled. "I didn't hurt anybody, right? I can't clearly remember! What have I done?!"

"Nothing. Calm down, please. Take it slowly. You only hurt someone to protect us, and he's fine. Apparently some of these people are important or at least powerful. Daniel and the others are in prison, they will be judged for murder. Everything has been covered. Nobody noticed anything, and when Motoki and Mako went home there wasn't any corpse in their living room. All had been explained to authorities and no question has been asked to any of us. It's pretty freaky, actually."

Minako nodded weakly.

"Some of them are capable, and important people in important places, I guess. What happened after… I changed?"

"You were too tired and stressed, and you used your powers too much. You collapsed. Internal bleeding. You had to have an operation immediately. They saved you, but you were too weak to wake up. They weren't sure you would actually. You've been in a coma for a week and a half. It's three in the morning, they called me, saying that you had woken up screaming and they couldn't calm you or even sedate you. You almost broke a nurse' nose. Your strength surprised them, a chance that you didn't use your gifts."

"In the state I am? I couldn't even sit down if I wanted."

"You've been transferred, we're in Tokyo. Airi is fine, but she's lost and she has missed her mom. We told her you were sick, which is the official version."

"Official?"

"The press knows. It's been on front pages for days."

Minako sighed tiredly, and she paled.

"Are you alright?" Rei asked worriedly, a hand coming to Minako's cheek before suddenly retracting.

"I… No. It hurts. And I feel sick."

"You should let the doctors see you now. You need help." Rei began to leave, but she stopped for a few seconds. "I'm glad you're awake."

* * *

"I don't care, I don't want to stay here!"

"Please, miss Aino –"

"Don't touch me!"

Rei shook her head at the nurse, and the elderly woman sighed softly and stayed back. It was almost noon, and Minako was a little stronger than a few hours ago, but still very sick. Ami had come to see her an hour ago, and Rei had come back only to see Minako fighting the nurses and trying to stand up.

"Where are you going like that?" she asked the sick woman calmly.

Minako raised her eyes to her before she winced. She couldn't even sit down without feeling dizzy.

"On a tour."

"Please, stop acting silly. Stay still. You need rest."

"I need to go!"

"Where?"

"I don't care. I want to see my daughter and I want to go home."

"And where's home?"

Minako lowered her eyes, her fists tightened around the cover. She had removed her IV and blood was slowly running down her arm.

"Not here," she whispered.

"You almost died, you can't stand up and go away like that. Airi is here, she's in the cafeteria with Artemis, Luna, Nephrite and Makoto. She wants to see you too."

"Of course, but… but I want to leave."

"You need medical attention."

"But I can get it without being here, I have the money for it," Minako protested, her voice more fragile now. Something was terribly childlike behind her tone, in her hesitation, in her fear. "I just… I can't stay here. I don't want to be in here. Please."

Rei felt in her heart the need to help her awoke, the need to erase her pain, her fear. She understood. Oh, how she understood. She remembered too well having seen Minako so sick in hospitals before. She remembered Artemis telling her that Minako had died just after her pre op tests on the cold floor of a hospital.

She knew full well that Minako couldn't stand to be in one of them since her teenage years, and Rei could easily pick up her distress.

"Please, Rei, I need to leave. I… I don't want to be here… Please!"

Her caramel eyes were watering, Rei could almost feel it in her heart. She nodded and left the room to talk to Minako's doctor.

* * *

Two days later, Rei was waiting in her living room. Minako had been quiet since she had arrived here, a few hours ago. Despite of her protestations, Minako wasn't able to leave the hospital before the medical team made sure that she would not suffer from any complications.

During these two days, she had only talked to thank her friends who had come see her, and to reassure Airi or to answer her when the little girl had explained to her all the things that had happened during her absence in her life. The rest of the time, Minako had been asleep.

Now the child was drawing, gently humming off key, a smile on her face. Rei sighed, and when the doctor Minako had hired to check on her at home reappeared, she stood up and went to talk with him before walking him out.

"Can I go see mommy now that he left?"

"We have to let her rest, you know she's still sick, right? You'll see her later."

"But what if she needs something?" Airi worried.

"I'm going to ask her."

The room was dark. Minako was resting under a heavy blanket, the IV installed next to her and other medical supplies on the desk were weird sights for Rei who knew this room by heart.

"He said that you were doing exceptionally well. But that you are still very weak."

"That's your room," was Minako only, quiet answer.

Rei looked around her, the wooden furniture and the familiar warmness and elegance of her surrounding enveloping her, and shrugged.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I could have rented a flat, you know. You didn't need to do that."

A smile almost made its way on Rei's face when she noticed how embarrassed Minako seemed to be here, in Rei's room, in Rei's home, sick and weak.

"You needed someone to be there with you," Rei justified almost tenderly.

"I would have hired a nurse."

"Please," Rei retorted. "We both know that you can't afford to have a stranger constantly near you now."

Minako stayed silent, her eyes on the ceiling. Rei sighed.

"Are you alright?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that," the woman whispered.

"You seem… you seem lost."

"I'm fine. I'm just a little disoriented, maybe. It's just… all is just so… fucked up."

"It's not," Rei protested softly, knowing that one of them needed to stay strong. "Not anymore. Things are okay now. Everything is solved."

"Is it, really?"

Rei couldn't really know. She wasn't even sure if all of that was right.

Ami had warned her about Minako staying with her. About the strain it could put on them, giving their history and what had happened these last few weeks. Makoto and Motoki had agreed with her, worried that the situation could be too much for the two women.

They were worried about them, and they knew, as Rei knew, that if things went wrong, it would definitely destroy them and any chance they had to be happy with someone again.

But Rei hadn't had a choice, really. Minako wasn't well enough to take care of Airi, and Airi was living with her, and she didn't have the heart to keep mother and child apart once more.

She didn't have the heart to let Minako go once more.

"You still have a fever," Rei noticed, seeing the rose on Minako's pale cheeks and the veil in her eyes.

She had seen her unwell before, she knew the signs.

"He said that it will come down in two hours or so."

"Airi is excited to know that you're here. She doesn't stop smiling."

A soft little smile appeared on Minako's face.

"She's such a sweet kid."

"You'll have another piece of art soon."

Minako gazed at other drawings put on Rei's nightstand by Airi.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I didn't want to imply that… you couldn't take care of her or… something…"

Awkwardness suddenly filled the room.

"Minako…"

"I know you have questions," Minako whispered nervously.

"Why me?"

The idol's smile appeared bitter.

"Who else?"

"We were… I was…"

"I was still in love with you," Minako admitted brusquely, the words she had for so long buried deep within herself escaping her chest. "I was pregnant, I was alone, and I was… scared," she admitted finally. "And when she was born, all I could think of were her future and her safety. I wanted her to be protected and happy and safe from… from Dan, and destiny and everything else. I couldn't think of anybody better than you to raise my baby if something were to happen to me. I… knew that you would raise her well. No matter what happened between us or where your life would have led you."

Rei didn't know what to say, or what to do. Her throat was tight, her hands cold, and she suddenly felt very tired.

"I'm sorry," Minako breathed finally.

Rei frowned.

"Don't be, I'm not… angry. It's okay." She sighed. "I understand."

Something was just behind the door. Rei went to open it and smiled while letting the strange dog go inside.

Minako's eyes suddenly brighten upon seeing her pet.

"Berger! Come here!"

The dog went to her and Minako sat down and leaned over to hug him tightly.

"I missed you! Good dog!"

Rei looked at them with a soft smile on her face.

"Mommy?"

"Hey, Airi. It's time for bed."

The little girl nodded and went to her with a smile. She gave her new drawing to her and beamed.

"Do you like it?"

Minako looked at it and lightly laughed.

"Of course, it's beautiful."

"Are you better?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all. Don't worry, sweetie."

Airi looked at her with too much seriousness and nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to tuck you in!"

Minako smiled and let her rearrange her covers and give her a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, that's very nice of you."

"It's natural," Airi answered with a brusque nod. "Now you go have sweet dreams."

"You too, Ai."

"Rei can tell you a story. She's very good at that."

Minako smiled and threw a look at a blushing Rei.

"Yes, I remember," the idol confessed to her daughter. "But I'm sure Reiko has other things to do."

"As you want."

"Good night. And don't forget to brush your teeth."

Airi grimaced but nodded and left the room. Minako chuckled.

"She seems to feel just fine here."

"She can be stubborn, but she's adorable."

"Where is Artemis?"

"He left earlier. You scared him, you know."

"Yes," Minako whispered. "I'll talk to him."

"You should sleep. Have a good night, I'm going to check on Airi."

Berger was already dozing off near the bed, apparently intent on not leaving his mistress' side.

"Hum, Reiko?"

"What?"

"If… I'm in your bed, where will you sleep?"

"Don't worry about that."

"But Ai is in your guests' bedroom, and… you can't sleep on a couch because of us. I could sleep with Airi."

"No," Rei protested. "You need to sleep, you need tranquility. You're still too sick. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure that it's okay to let Berger sleep here? He shed his fur all the time, you know."

"It's okay."

"I'm kind of disturbing your life, aren't I?" Minako asked apologetically.

Since Rei was leaving the room, Minako was unable to see the glint in her chocolate gaze.

"I was bored anyway."

"But…"

"I'm… glad. That you're better. And that you're here."

Her voice broke and, not standing being this vulnerable, Rei left the room quickly. It took a few minutes in the kitchen to erase the tears from her eyes. So many memories were coming back, so many feelings of regret, nostalgia, happiness, anger and pain.

And yet, here they were, at a crossroad, not knowing where they were going or how to deal with that storm that had suddenly torn their life to pieces.

Not knowing how they could put their damaged selves together.


	14. And then, the future

**Lineage**

_**And then, the future**_

"Here."

Minako took the cup of tea and the cookies from Rei and smiled, rather shyly.

"You shouldn't bother yourself like that."

"It's nothing. I saw the nurse leave."

Silence. Minako slowly ate the chocolate cookie, taking little sips from her tea, trying to ignore her hunger. She was still exhausted despite having slept until 10, pale and under medication. Her stomach could very well protest, and that wasn't something she wanted, especially with Rei in the room.

"What is Airi doing?" she asked quietly, not standing the silence anymore.

But it might have been Rei's eyes on her that she wasn't able to stand. And the effects they had on her.

"Oh, she's playing with that thing that Mamoru lent her."

"It's called video games, Reiko. And it's fun."

"If you say so."

"I heard you berating her earlier."

"Ah… yes, she was getting – "

Rei's uneasiness made Minako smile.

"Don't apologize, I know how Airi can be once she's at ease with her surroundings and with new people. You're right to stop her from getting away with too many things. She can be cunning when she wants something."

"Hmm, takes after you, huh? She's full of energy, she's so happy you're here and better that she doesn't calm down."

Minako nodded, putting the cup away. She couldn't say she was feeling well. She wasn't even sure she could have walked without falling. Being this weak made her skin crawled.

"I feel like I could sleep for centuries," she whispered.

"I think you have sleep long enough these last days," came the dry answer from Rei.

Slowly, with hesitation, Minako raised her eyes toward her. The brown eyes were darkened by the fear that had gripped the woman, and the idol felt her heart tighten. She didn't know what to make of it, what to think, she was far from having come to terms with the events of the last two weeks. God, she hadn't even come to terms with the end of her relationship with Rei, her forced exile and Airi's birth! She felt lost, tiny and ridiculously fearful.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You're shaking, Minako."

"Wh…? Oh." The woman frowned, looking at her pale and trembling hands. "Yeah."

Rei took the tray with a worried frown.

"You should sleep a little more."

"Hmm."

"See you later."

"Rei?"

"Yes?"

"… Thank you."

P

"Work trouble?"

"Huh? Sorry." Rei straightened and turned to gaze at Minako who was sitting cross legged on her bed. "Just a little preoccupied."

"You've been really quiet since you came back from work. Do you always have days this long?"

Rei raised an eyebrow at her, slightly amused.

"Why?"

"Just curious," answered the other woman cheekily. "I just… don't do anything all day long, you know. Well, I did talk a little with Makoto and Usagi. And Artemis spent three hours lecturing me or interrogating me."

"Can't blame him."

"I don't have to explain myself. It was my life and it was my choice."

"It was."

The almost defensive stance left Minako at once. Surprised, the woman couldn't hide her reaction quickly enough and felt embarrassed when Rei smirked at her.

"It doesn't mean you were right," the social worker said with an unreadable expression. "If you hadn't been so close to death, I would have throttled you myself."

"You always have been too impulsive."

"I was? And you? Always taking crazy and stupid decisions on a whim."

"I wasn't on a whim!" Minako protested, standing up quickly.

Three days had sufficed for her to regain a part of her strength. The mending of her relationships with her friends had helped her, the presence of Artemis, Airi and the calls from Sugao and Amachachi had been soothing and the fact that she was at Rei's, even if the woman had gone back to work the day before, had forced her to stay still and listen to her hurt body.

Her doctor was still trying to understand how that partial recovery could have been so fast.

"It was stupid," Rei snapped finally, her eyes almost burning Minako.

The ex idol kept her mouth closed, for she was feeling that Rei's emotions were boiling under her rather calm features.

"You acted as that man wanted."

"From the moment I knew I was pregnant I didn't have a choice. I couldn't stay in the spotlight."

"You should have told me."

"You dumped me!"

Rei's mouth opened before closing again. Her own outburst left Minako angry at herself and feeling vulnerable. The last she wanted was them to hurt the other again or to show how she was still so in love with Rei that she, Sailor Venus, couldn't even understand it.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and her tone of voice.

"It was… complicated, the two of us, in the end. I know that. We let things go that way, we… didn't talk enough. But… Well, in clear, once you weren't in my life anymore, there wasn't a lot of things standing between me and… and that destiny that had been put on my shoulders. I was… I was…" The words wouldn't come. The truth wouldn't pass her lips. Minako was still too proud and feeling way too fragile to admit that she had been terrified. She had spent the last years, maybe all her life, being scared to death and not mature enough or intelligent enough to accept it. "I needed to leave, I needed to escape all of it, and protecting my daughter became my only preoccupation, the only goal I could have then. People were being killed no matter what I was doing, bringing you or the others in that mess was the last option possible in my mind."

Rei was looking at her with eyes shining with anguish and pain. She understood her decisions, it seemed clear to the idol, she could see it. But in a way, it made all this a lot more complicated.

"Things could have gone differently," Rei whispered finally, a trace of guilty despair in her voice.

Minako lowered her eyes to hide the same feelings that were shining in them.

"But they didn't."

P

"How are things with Minako?"

Rei took the bag Ami was holding out to her and looked inside.

"That's it?"

"Yes, Airi just forgot her jacket, and she asked Neph the two DVD to watch it again."

"Thanks."

"I talked to Minako earlier on the phone. She seemed better."

"She is. Still tired and sore, but it's going to be alright. She's already making plans with Sugao to deal with the press."

"Which lead us to my first question. How are things between you two?"

Rei lowered her eyes.

"It's so complicated. But sometimes, all is so simple, so… natural… I just don't know."

"Did you two talk about what happened?"

"A little. I'm working, and she spends a lot of time with Airi, and with you all when you visit, so we don't really spend a lot of time together. I think she was very nervous at first about our reactions to it all, and now that she's reassured she seems… more sure of herself."

"Will she stay in Tokyo?"

"I don't know."

"Are you alright, Rei?"

"I'm okay."

Ami narrowed her eyes at her. She knew her very well, she could see how her friend's eyes were somber, darker. Something was troubling her. But before she could insist, Rei asked her something.

"Nephrite isn't here?"

"He's gone out with Mamoru and a few of their friends."

"Is everything alright? You seem… tense."

Ami blushed a little, and then sighed.

"Neph and I just had a weird discussion yesterday."

"About?"

"About... Well, I think that spending time with Airi gave him ideas."

"Ideas?" A smile began showing on Rei's face. "Like in baby ideas?"

"Yes, like that."

"Well, he's surprisingly very good with Airi, and apparently they love spending time with each other. You never discussed the idea of children before?"

"Of course we did, but… never really seriously, I mean… I work a lot, and it was always decided that we could wait a few more years to have a family. But… I don't know if it's because Makoto and Motoki will soon be parents, or it's because Usa and Mamoru will surely have a baby too, or because of Airi, but… well, he wants to be a daddy and he would like it if we didn't wait too long."

"And you?"

"I… don't know. Airi is adorable, that's true, and she's not always an easy kid now that her shyness has disappeared a bit with us, but she's so nice and interesting, and cute. But we can't let our desire to have a baby be based only on our moments with her."

"But being near Airi is just the little thing that you needed to awake your project to have a child of your own." Rei smiled gently and took her friend's hand. "You shouldn't worry," she said warmly, softly, "things will come naturally, listen only to yourself and talk with Neph, if you're ready to be parents, it will appear obvious to you eventually."

"Thanks," Ami whispered with a little smile for her ex priestess friend. "If you had seen things come, you would tell me right?"

With that little mysterious smile and that flame in her eyes that gave to others the feeling that she always knew a lot more than she let on, Rei winked at her friend and turned to leave.

Ami could just shook her heard and chuckled while closing the door behind the other woman.

P

"Airi, please, stop. I want you to concentrate on that lesson, ok?" Minako asked, her voice letting her child know that she was annoyed with her. "You know the rules. No homework, no games."

"But I don't like math."

"Do it."

Minako let her daughter alone in the living room to go to the kitchen. She petted Berger's head when she felt the dog walking next to her. The poor thing rarely left her side since Minako was brought here, a week ago.

The idol stopped near the little table in the center of the modest kitchen. Rei was cooking the dinner, and it was a familiar sight, familiar and painful. Minako remembered loving coming home to see her partner occupied with the meal, she had loved the warm feeling inside of her chest, loved the feeling that she had a family, a home, a place.

Until she had lost it all.

"It smells good."

"Better than if you had cooked it," was Rei's easy reply.

Minako crossed her arms.

"You would be surprised. I'm a lot better at it now."

Rei kept stirring the soup for a little while. Minako couldn't help her worry to get the best of her.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

Minako lightly bit her lower lip, hesitating.

"You're lying," she finally said.

Rei turned toward her and sighed, annoyed.

"I thought it was agreed. Don't use your powers on me."

"I can't help it when your emotions are that strong. It's not like I could put it on off, I would have thought that you of all people would understand that."

For a few seconds Minako thought that things were going to go wrong. And then, Rei's eyes softened, and she sighed quietly.

"I just had a bad day. At work. A teen, beaten down by his mother. I know it would happen again, but I couldn't do anything because there wasn't any proof against her. So in spite of my report the judge had to let the kid go back yesterday, and today he's in a hospital." Rei shrugged with weariness. "At least this time I'll be able to trust him into the care of his aunt. It's not like I could have said to my boss that I had sensed it coming."

"I'm sorry."

"We can't change this world."

Minako wanted to say that they could still try. She didn't like hearing that from Rei, didn't like the bitterness coming from her. She wanted to find again the teen full of hope and love for this world, the girl so righteous ready to overcome any difficulty to help strangers. But, and that reality shocked her, Minako herself had been that type of teen, ready to die for the world and what she believed in, ready to exhaust herself to put smiles on strangers' faces.

Her eyes narrowed and she chased the melancholy.

Rei and Minako were a little broken, so what? This world was!

"M – Minako…!"

The shock the woman was feeling was clear to the empath, and the tension in the body she held against her amused her slightly. Minako hadn't thought about it, it had been a strange reaction from her body, and truthfully, she was scared of her own move. She hadn't planned to walk smoothly toward Rei like that to hug her tightly.

"Sorry," Minako whispered, closing her eyes but her arms tightening even more around Rei instead of releasing the woman.

Finally, Rei put her arms around the idol, and Minako smiled softly, imagining the blush on her friend's cheeks. She didn't want to let her go, didn't want this delicious moment to end. The soft sigh that passed Rei's lips tickled Minako's skin, causing a jolt of desire to travel inside of her. But she was far too scared of the possible consequences to even move her hands.

"Minako? Hum… the soup, it's burning. So…"

Feeling like a teenager again, Minako took a step back and nodded awkwardly, not meeting Rei's gaze. The soup was quickly put on the table, and Rei nodded.

"It's ready."

"Ok. I'm going to see how Airi is doing."

The gaze they exchanged then was charged with everything they didn't tell each other.

Yet.

P

Rei went to her room after the dinner to take a book. The door being half open, she didn't knock and froze with a mixture of amusement and offense.

"Looking for something?"

Minako tensed and turned her head toward Rei. She was standing near a cupboard, a little white string in her right hand.

Her mouth opened then closed again, before she finally found the use of her voice.

"A new sheet."

"In my undergarments' drawer?"

Blushing lightly, Minako let an embarrassed smile touch her lips.

"I opened the closet and the two top drawers before, without finding the sheets."

"And when you saw my undergarments you couldn't help but look closer?" Rei teased, trying to stop herself from laughing.

More relaxed, Minako raised an eyebrow, her smile becoming more sheepish.

"It's a total accident, I didn't expect to come across all these beautiful little things," she said, letting the string fall inside the drawer and closing it.

"Pervert."

"Mommy's a pervert?"

Rei jumped and turned to see Airi behind her.

"N… no!" she said, blushing furiously while Minako burst out laughing.

Airi looked suspiciously at Rei while going toward her mother.

"What's a pervert?" she asked quietly to the idol.

"Nothing you should know about, I don't want to hear that word in your mouth."

"It's a bad word?" Airi's eyes narrowed. "Did Rei insult you?"

Minako took her child in her arms, a smile on her face.

"Rei and I were just joking, don't worry. Come on, we're going to take a bath."

As Minako led her daughter into the bathroom, Rei felt Airi's dark accusing gaze on her all along.

P

"Airi found your box of pictures. She's looking through it in search of the ones of us and the others. I hope you don't mind."

Rei shook her head as Minako came to sit on the bed next to her.

"Here, a new sheet."

"Thank you."

"They are in the closet in the other room. No more excuses to look into my drawers."

"Too bad," Minako smirked. "They're fascinating."

"I… see that you didn't touch them."

Minako followed Rei's gaze and saw the diaries, still in the bag, that the woman had given her a few days ago. She tensed and shook her head, incapable of talking suddenly.

Rei's hand on her own almost made her jump.

"Are you scared?" she whispered softly.

Minako forced herself to look into Rei's eyes, and all she saw, all she felt were understanding, tenderness and worry.

She nodded weakly.

"I'm not sure I want to see what's inside."

"Your past is inside," Rei answered warmly, her voice soft. "And you have nothing to fear from it anymore."

"B… but… I don't… what if the few memories I have of my mother got tainted by those diaries? I have so few still intact… I can't even… sometimes I'm not even sure I didn't make them up."

Minako lowered her eyes on their hands. Feeling Rei's skin against her own was highly comforting.

"Would you read them, if they were from your mother?" she asked Rei.

"Yes, but our situations are different. These diaries are all you have of your mom."

"Yeah…"

"Mommy! I'm tired!"

"Ah, sorry. Duty calls."

"Apparently."

When Minako came back in the room after having tucked Airi in, she found Rei looking strangely at the photo on the nightstand. It was her daughter, walking for the first time.

"That's cute."

"She began walking late," Minako explained. "I'm sure that it's because she was loving too much being carried around in my arms."

Rei smiled and nodded.

"You can be proud."

"Oh, I am."

The silence was deafening. Minako couldn't stand it, and her nervousness caused her to lose control. The light inside of the bedroom intensified dangerously and formed two little balls of golden energy inside of the idol's hands. She quickly stopped her powers and blushed under Rei's eyes.

"Sorry. I… Oh…"

"Hey, are you alright?"

"A little light headed."

Rei put an hand on Minako's back.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I'm still not one hundred per cent back on my feet, so my control is a little off."

"No gift. You could get sicker."

"I know," Minako smiled. "Don't worry."

Rei blushed lightly and shrugged.

"I saw that you kept all the pictures of us," Minako said with a slight hesitation.

"Those pictures were yours too. And of course I kept them. Why? Would you have burnt them?"

"No! I just…"

Minako didn't know how to finish that sentence without putting both of them in an awkward corner.

Rei sensed it too, but she showed more courage than Minako.

"They're reminders of the time we spent together. As friends and as more. And despite how it ended, I… well, it was great."

"Yeah," Minako softly agreed with a smile. Then she laughed lightly. "Well, Hino, I think we have grown up."

"It seems like it, yes," Rei nodded, and Minako was happy to see some relieved and joyful sparks in her eyes. "Oh, Makoto said that she met a man yesterday, Naoki Yamagata?"

"Ah."

"You've met him?"

"Yes. He's a friend of Hayao, one of the Descendents that helped me these last years."

"Is it true that he's a descendent of the Jovians?"

"Yes. His family could be the last one, at that."

"Makoto sounded happy to have met him."

"Naoki wanted to meet her out of curiosity. She is the reincarnation of a Jovian princess of his ancestors, after all."

"I see."

"Would you meet Martian heirs if they still exist?"

"I don't know," Rei answered truthfully. "I really don't. I think… I think that, by respect toward Mars, I would. Maybe."

"You seem tired."

"Oh, I'm fine."

"Really? You know, you could take the bed now that I'm better."

"It's okay."

"Okay. As you want."

"What have you decided? With Shacho, I mean."

"Oh, I'll talk to the press in three days. The usual, you know. I'm fine, I was occupied otherwise, blah blah."

"Will you tell them about Airi?"

Minako sighed.

"Sadly, I think it's inevitable now. I'm not looking forward to it. I already talked to her about it, she's a little anxious about the possibility of the paparazzi and reporters following us everywhere. She watches too much TV."

"She isn't totally wrong."

"It'll die down eventually. In a few weeks they'll let us be."

"Does it mean that you're thinking of staying here?"

"In Tokyo? Maybe. At least in a loft. I'm thinking of buying a house outside of the city."

"And your career?"

"Oh. I don't know."

"I know you miss the scene," Rei said softly, her warm gaze on Minako's face.

"I have Airi. I can't –"

"I'm not an expert, but artists can have children and still work."

"It's not that easy. I didn't raise Ai in this world, and… I don't know."

"You have written how many songs these last years?"

Minako snickered.

"A lot. But half of them aren't satisfying and the other half isn't really… joyful. I've written a few for Airi too."

"I'm sure you have enough for a new album."

"It's crazy."

"Think about it," Rei said, smiling. "Minako Aino's big come back."

"I never really left."

"I'm sure your fans don't feel the same."

"My, my, Reiko Hino, I could think you're one of them."

"Me?" Rei grimaced. "Minako Aino? You're kidding, she's old news! Ouch! You hit me!"

"Of course, I did!"

"That was a joke!"

"Too bad for you!"

"Look, even Berger is shocked by your violent side!"

The dog had raised his head and was looking at them with a strange worried expression, or at least it looked like it.

Minako laughed, soon joined by Rei, and both of them hadn't felt that well in a long time.

P

It was late the next morning when Artemis came to see them. Rei led him in her living room where Airi was playing a game. Immediately the cat ran to her, and the child beamed.

"I'm going to see what Minako is doing."

Rei knocked lightly on the door before opening it. She frowned and her heart constricted when she noticed tears on Minako's cheeks. She went immediately to her.

"Minako? What is it?"

Minako didn't answer her, her eyes on an old picture in her hands. Rei understood immediately when she saw the diaries on her friend's knees.

"I… I wanted to read them and… and that… fell out of one of them…"

It was a picture of a beautiful smiling woman with a beaming little girl in her arms. The seven year old girl looked very proud in her volleyball outfit, a little trophy in her hands. Her mother was looking at her with the same smile on her face, her eyes tender as they watched her happy child.

Rei put an arm around Minako's waist by pure instinct.

"She's beautiful."

Minako smiled through her tears.

"She was. I… You know, you believe that you'll never be able to forget the ones you love, but without pictures and movies to remind you… the faces just disappear from your memory and… and I had forgotten exactly how she looked… I don't know, it's just… how can you forget someone so quickly? How can we fade out so easily?"

"Now you'll never forget."

Minako nodded and put her head against Rei's shoulder, soft sobs shaking her body. The other woman couldn't help but hug her tenderly and kiss the top of her head.

Soon, Minako was not crying anymore, but she stayed immobile.

"Artemis is there," Rei whispered gently.

"Ah?"

"He's playing with Airi."

"Okay."

"Want a few minutes more?"

"Yeah."

Rei blushed lightly when she suddenly understood that Minako intended to spend these minutes right where she was.

In her arms.

P

With Artemis looking after Airi, Minako and Rei decided to go for a walk with Berger.

It was a beautiful day, warm and inviting. Even if a lot of people were outside, their presence weren't noticed. In the past, Rei and the others had been known to be Minako Aino's friends, and the persons they were with had always been scrutinized to see if it could be the idol. Now, after a few years of exile for the star, Rei was only recognized occasionally and nobody expected to see Minako in the streets anymore.

Still, with the latest news on the idol's health on the front pages of tabloids and the fact that Minako hadn't tried to conceal herself because of the heat, Rei was a little nervous. Luckily, people were a lot more intrigued by Berger than by the two women because of his worrying appearance. But Rei and Minako both knew that it was unlikely that nobody would notice them in the end, especially with their natural charisma.

In spite of that, neither wanted to go home. They soon talked without anger, without tension, without all their past hanging in the air. At first, the talked about the city, the changes, the babies that would soon come into their friends' families. And then, they talked about Airi, about funny memories of the girl's childhood, they talked about Minako's difficulties in raising her, about her fears and her hopes in that time, about Berger and all the places she had lived in and the number of times she had believed she was going crazy. They talked about Rei's work, about the friends she had made these last years, about her better relationship with her father and her still important notoriety in the Shinto circles. They talked about their friends, about Minako's career and songs, about Rei's projects, about the world that was changing and their lives. They talked about their past, about their regrets, about the pain and finally, they let it go.

Their hands were meeting each other from time to time because of their closeness, and Minako loved the little shivers that ran in her at these contacts. She felt like she was nineteen again and waiting for the right moment to kiss Rei.

And what she sensed coming from Rei's feelings sometimes told her everything she wanted to know. That they could have found the strength to be so open with each other and finally talk about all that meant the world to her, and to Rei without a doubt.

She just hoped that her next question wouldn't be too awkward.

"Can I ask you what happened with that woman… Keiko, was it?"

Rei sighed as she stopped to let Berger rest a little.

"Classic story. We met at a reception, we went out, and a few weeks later I found her with another woman. I dumped her on the spot. She left for the United States a week later for her work."

"She cheated on you?" Minako exclaimed, her indignation making her voice a little louder than Rei would have liked.

There were a few things that Sailor Venus didn't stand. Breaking the vows going implicitly with love was one of them.

Hurting Rei Hino was and by far even worse than that on her list.

"Yep. I'm okay now, but at first, I meditated a lot. So much that Makoto and Nephrite were ready to find Keiko and make her pay."

"Really?" Minako smiled.

"Neph and I spend some time with each other regularly, you know, because Ami and I see each other often to talk and we visit each other often. And both him and Mako are still really quick to anger."

"I imagine."

"They're kind of overprotective. You should see how Nephrite react when Ami is upset with something. It's cute to no end."

Minako nodded with a little smile. They began walking again.

"I'm sorry she hurt you."

"Don't be. It's in the past."

"Did you…"

"What?"

"I mean… when we were together you had become very adept to sense some things coming, and I know the closer it is to you the stronger your gift is and… God, sorry, it's not very –"

"I perceived it," Rei answered anyway, her eyes somber. "I was at work, and I felt something going wrong, so I let my sixth sense take over and it led me to her apartment."

"Oh."

"I think we're spotted."

Minako looked ahead to see a few people looking at them curiously or with excitation. Some had their phones out to take a picture.

"We should go back to your building, no need to take a taxi though, they don't look like trouble."

Rei nodded and grinned.

"Welcome back, Mina."

P

"… and I'd like to thank every one for their kindness and support and assure them that I'm in good health now."

A reporter raised his hand and stood up to ask his question.

"Are you going to stay in Tokyo?"

"For a while, yes."

Another reporter.

"Can your fans expect new songs?"

"Well… I talked with my old manager and my old team and we'd all love to work together again."

"Can we understand that you're back?"

"You can understand that I'm already working on my next album and concerts, yes," Minako smiled.

The reporters talked amongst themselves after this news and the idol looked at Sugao on the side, their smiles were identical. The press conference was going very well.

"Minako, can you tell us why you left so suddenly five years ago?"

All had been already discussed and decided, and Minako just smiled a soft and peaceful smile.

"Yes, I can," she said, and her smile was the one of a proud young mother. "But I wouldn't say I left suddenly, because it was decided before. As I already said, these last few years I've been really occupied with another work, the most important of all. I was raising my baby."

Of course, Minako couldn't continue, so she patiently waited until they calmed down.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A little girl. Her name is Airi Aino, and she's four. I wanted to raise her away from my celebrity and the press, and I would appreciate it greatly if reporters and paparazzi could stay away and be less noisy if they see me with her. Airi is far from being used to that type of attention, she's very shy."

Her voice was soft, but the reporters who knew her understood the threat behind it. It was no secret that Minako Aino always was very private, and that the journalists that didn't respect that could say goodbye to exclusives or interviews.

"Are you married?"

"No, and I'm raising my daughter alone."

"Where is she born?"

"England, but she has both nationalities. Enough about that. I just wanted to reassure everyone and to confirm my attention to perform again."

"Will that album be on your site?"

"The first song only, in about two weeks. The album will be available within the next few weeks in stores."

P

"It was a great evening, wasn't it?"

Minako turned and smiled at Rei. She was listening to the radio and the news on her.

"It was nice to be with you all again. Usa was excited like a child!"

"She was ecstatic about your decision and your press conference. She's still one of your greatest fans you know."

"Yeah," Minako smiled softly.

"Airi's asleep, Berger's with her. What were you doing?"

Minako looked at her bag.

"Oh, now that I'm better I wanted to give back your room to you. You're working and that couch looks uncomfortable. I'll sleep with Ai."

"I told you, I don't mind. I can sleep anywhere anyway."

Minako laughed.

"I remember," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh I don't want to know what's on your mind right now."

"Ah?"

The way she was looking at her made Rei blush, and she was herself surprised by her reaction. Minako laughed softly, and the sound in itself was delicious. Rei realized suddenly that Minako's eyes were finally clearer, her face devoid of any trace of tiredness, she seemed well, relaxed.

It was a marvelous sight.

Rei almost jumped when she noted that Minako was now right in front of her. Her hands came to rest against Rei's face, and her smile became softer.

"I like it when you redden because of me," she whispered lightly, her breath too close to Rei's skin.

Inside of her mind, a lot of questions turned restlessly. What did it mean? This closeness, these feelings? This love? Could they resume what they had? And Airi? Their careers? Their future?

What if they had changed too much?

What if Minako didn't really feel the same?

Something in Minako's hazel gaze, a spark of glee and worry maybe, told Rei that the idol must have felt her emotions. But before she could berate her about it, Minako's lips found her own lightly, with hesitation, tenderness, passion.

Rei knew this language. Knew these feelings inside of her, and recognized them in Minako's kiss.

She surrendered gladly.

P

They faced each other on the bed, in the dark, seeing just enough and looking into each other's eyes with the peace and love of old souls linked forever. Their hands were softly playing with the other's hair, skin, lightly caressing, with reverence, with tenderness, with the assurances of being on conquered territory.

The sighs and soft moans and words laced with passion had been replaced by calm and loving whispers, gentle smiles and gazes full of promises, happiness, love.

"That tickles," Minako accused softly.

"Sorry."

"Liar."

They smiled at each other.

"So, are you going to explain it to me?" Rei murmured.

"What?"

"The fact that suddenly we were softly shining when we… huh… you know…"

"Are you blushing?"

"No."

"Liar," Minako laughed. "How can you be embarrassed about that? You certainly weren't earlier."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Well, my powers are a little unbalanced still, and… well… you know, they are based on emotions, and especially on love… so…"

"Now you're blushing," Rei grinned.

Minako lightly pushed her.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"You could have guessed it alone, you're not really smart, Reiko."

"Sorry, never slept with a venusian princess before."

"Oh god, you're never letting me forget that, right?"

"Nope."

"And excuse me, but I think I can attest that you have already made love to a venusian princess before tonight."

Rei smiled.

"I meant that you never shined before."

"_We_ shined. And my powers weren't totally developed before, and they're unbalanced now, I told you."

"Does it mean that I'll never make you shine again?" Rei teased.

"You make me shine all the time," Minako confessed, before grinning when she saw Rei's face. She leaned in to lightly kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rei whispered softly.

"I should confess something to you. I have a weird daughter and a clingy dog."

"Really? Well, in that case, I should confess that there's an international idol living in my flat."

"What? I sure hope you'll get rid of her."

"I don't know. I don't want to let her go again."

Minako smiled gently at her.

"Even if half of her things aren't even there?"

"I'm sure we'll find something."

"Are you sure, Reiko? We can take our time, I can rent a flat for a while."

"Why? We lived together before, and Airi likes her room after all. And… and we could get something bigger later?"

Minako grinned, and Rei wasn't sure because of the dark, but she thought that her eyes were shining a little too much. So she kissed her cheek and took her in her arms.

"I missed you," she murmured against her hair.

Minako sighed against her skin.

"I missed you too. You know… I never ceased to love you. I used to think about you and about your possible relationships and I would get so jealous… Don't laugh!"

"Sorry, I find that really cute."

"Cute," Minako mumbled.

Rei giggled again before sighing.

"I couldn't listen to your songs. They made me think too much about you."

"I was scared, but now… When I'm with you, I feel invincible."

"I'd like you to be invincible, because you tend to find yourself in hospitals too often."

"I promise it won't happen again. I won't use my gifts."

"Mina… Is there really an hidden land for the Descendents?"

Minako tensed, and then nodded.

"Yeah," she whispered, almost scared that somebody somewhere could hear her and begin all this madness again.

"Where is it?" Rei asked, genuinely curious. "You really have that knowledge in your mind?"

"It's… under the South Pacific. Almost right between French Polynesia and New Caledonia."

"Under?"

"It's an artificial land. The Venusians used mercurian and lunarian technology and the energy of Earth and of the Planet Crystal of Venus to create it."

"You mean you were supposed to make it resurface? Like… Atlantis?"

"Well, nobody could ever prove that the legend of Atlantis was linked to the venusian land. But it's a possibility. Its creation and immersion must have been seen by people at the time."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I wonder how it is."

"I don't know myself. I only know that for the moment the technology we have isn't developed enough to detect it. And that the land has an auto destruction device in case it happened."

"Aren't you curious about it?"

Minako kept silent for a few seconds, and when she finally talked her whispering voice was laced with fear, pushing Rei to hold her a little more tightly.

"No, because every time I think about it something wants to take over my mind and the need to go find that land becomes overwhelming. You saw how I can lose control."

"I saw how you can take it back. I saw how strong minded you are."

"Only because you were there. Saving me. Again."

"Yeah, I'm that good."

Minako smiled and raised her head to look at her.

"Aren't you the proud one?"

"I am." She ran her fingers through the idol's hair. "Don't worry. It's over now."

"Did… did you see something?"

Rei smiled.

"No, and that's good. Well, I did sense something, but I won't tell you."

"Why? Does it concern us?"

"Yep."

"What is it?" Minako grinned when she saw Rei's smile. "It's good?"

"Yep."

"Come on, tell me!"

"Nope."

"Reiko!"

"You know that I can't be sure, and it's just a feeling. If it happens, you'll see."

Minako sighed against her.

"I think I won't tell Airi about the land. She's my heir, and I will tell her about her origins, but… too many things are at risk when it comes to that land."

"You alone can take that decision."

"That knowledge will die with us, then…"

In the silence, Rei yawned. It was past four in the morning, and she was feeling rested and happy for the first time in a long time.

"I named Airi like that because of you, you know," Minako whispered suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, we did say that we'll talk more from now on, no more secrets, right?"

"Right."

"Airi. It's because of you. You like that name."

"Yeah, that's true… but how did you know?"

"Once, when we were living together, we were watching TV and you told me you liked it. I don't know why, but I couldn't think of a name for her, I tried for months to find one that I would love with no luck. It was when I held her for the first time that that memory came from nowhere. Airi. It seemed right. Perfect."

Rei didn't know how to react. But she felt happy, honored, scared too.

Minako looked at her attentively, with seriousness, a slight apprehension, and the assurances born of years of wishing.

"Will you raise her with me?"

Rei struggled to find something to say.

"I… I never… I mean, I never thought that one day I would become a stepmother," she finally whispered, trying a joke to control her emotions.

"What about becoming a mother then?"

Rei nearly forgot how to breathe.

"What…?"

"I know you need time," Minako said, and she was perfectly calm suddenly, her voice soft and assured. "I'm just saying that one day, if you want, you could become Airi's other parent officially, or at least the closer to it we can get here."

"You're… sure? We only just…"

"I thought about it when I carried her. I thought about it every moment of the last four years. In my mind, you always were her parent. Well, it was kind of a dream, but… Well, if one day it crosses your mind…"

"I don't know what to say, because… I love that child, and I love you, and I…"

"You could kiss me," Minako grinned, looking very proud of herself.

Rei wanted to resist, but it was impossible, and so she kissed her.

A little while later, as they tried to fall asleep, Minako softly laughed suddenly.

"What?" Rei asked.

"I'm just thinking of the others' reactions when they'll know about us."

"Oh Kami," Rei groaned. "Usa won't stop squealing, Makoto will be horrible with her questions, and the boys…"

"You do know that Airi will scrutinize you. I think she'll have a hard time adapting to this new life with me working, the press, all those friends, school in a few weeks and all."

"I know. But she'll adapt, she's young and smart."

"Yes. Without a doubt."

She yawned and Rei smiled with tenderness.

"We should sleep. Airi will be up in a few short hours."

"Hmm. Berger too."

"Good night."

"Sweet dreams, Reiko."

Rei was sure her dreams would be perfect. For she knew their future would be better, they had learned from their past mistakes and their love would never be tainted again by their idiocy.

In the dark, she smiled, the remembrance of her premonition once again in her mind.

"Reiko, you're grinning again," Minako accused, tiredness lacing her voice.

"Ah, sorry."

"Come on, can I know too?"

"No."

"Reiko…"

"Good night."

"Rei! I won't let you sleep until you tell me!"

Rei only laughed and kissed Minako to silence her.

The idol took this opportunity to keep Rei awake until dawn.

P

**End**


	15. Sequel

P

**Lineage**

**Sequel**

_**The Bag**__**, the Ring, irrational fears and home**_

Rei woke up slowly. She sat up, noting it was only two in the morning, and frowned. She was alone in the bed. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if it had been the fist time.

She sighed quietly and stood up, wondering what had troubled Minako this time. Nightmares? Anxiety? Too many thoughts in her head?

During these last four weeks, Minako had healed and had gone back to work. The press was chasing her despite the few interviews she had given, the release of her new single had been a huge hit worldwide but especially in Japan, China and England, and she worked a lot preparing her new album and concerts these last days. Airi found it especially hard to adjust now that her mother couldn't give her full attention every moment of the day. When the little girl had almost stopped talking for a few days and finally burst into tears when Minako had come to pick her up from Makoto's one day after work, it had become apparent that she really felt lost.

It had been really hard for Minako, she had almost cancelled her recording sessions for a few days to stay with her daughter. Airi had been angry at everyone and everything because she had felt that the world was stealing her mother from her. Her feeling of abandonment and loneliness were only reinforced by her fear from the occasional paparazzi and journalists that they encountered during their outings, and from this new life that she still didn't quite understand, with all Minako's friends around her. She was terrified that Minako would go back to her career, leaving her behind. She had been so jealous and scared that Minako had brought her with her to work a few times, during recording sessions, rehearsals and shootings. Airi seemed more at ease now that she understood what her mother did all day and now that Minako had talked to her about it all.

But Airi's jealously toward Rei had also put a strain on their life. The child had noticed that her mother's attention when she was at home was divided, and that she talked and smiled and did a lot of things with Rei during her free time. Even before Minako and Rei disclosed that they were back together to their friends, Airi had become difficult with the social worker. She hadn't been mean or a brat, but she had been distant and oddly distrustful. It was only now that Rei and Minako had begun hunting for a new place to live and that their intention to really be a part of the other's life definitively was clear that Airi had begun to warm up to Rei again.

In spite of that, Rei was still feeling ill at ease somehow. She felt like the intruder in the bubble in which Minako, Airi and Berger had lived – survived, really – these last years. Minako had been more and more opened about her feelings and her past, but Rei could easily see the changes it had provoked in her. The occasional tension in her body when they were walking in the streets, her constant awareness in her surroundings, the way she never ever felt totally at peace or relaxed, her senses always on alert.

They needed stability. What both Minako and Airi never had. A place to live that wouldn't be temporary, friends, security. They needed a home and all that went with it. Rei was decided to give them one, she was only hoping that she could feel at ease herself, for currently, she couldn't help but feel rather tensed.

No sign of Minako in the living room and the bathroom. Rei went to Airi's room and opened the door quietly. She found her girlfriend asleep on the bed on top of the covers, an arm around Airi. The sight was beautiful, but Rei felt a little sadness grip her heart. Minako had trouble sleeping, she would suddenly tense and sat up in bed, or wake up at random hours and go to the kitchen to work on a few songs. Rei knew it was only a consequence to have lived on the run for so long, but she couldn't help but feel helpless and left out when Minako didn't share with her her fears. The fact that she _felt_ them wasn't the same.

Minako still didn't feel totally safe, it was natural, and Rei knew that she had to be patient. She had changed too, she could see it in Minako's eyes sometimes, see the surprise and worry in her. They both had to adapt, and they would eventually, Rei was sure of it.

P

"Airi, we already talked about that, you need to go to school."

"But I can learn at home!"

"No. You're going to that school, and it will be just fine."

"But it's a snobs' school, even Rei says so!"

"Reiko went to a snobs' school and she survived it. She had a perfect education and I want you to have that. Besides, I would have loved to put you into a public school but chances are that you'll be more protected and left alone in that one."

"I don't like it," Airi mumbled as she played with her cornflakes.

Minako sighed.

"I know, but you'll meet people there, little boys and girls, maybe you'll make friends."

"I have Temis and Berger, I don't need other friends."

"Please, sweetie, I'm sure that in time you will adapt."

"Will you come with me?" Airi asked quietly.

Minako smiled reassuringly and went to her.

"Of course I'm coming. I wouldn't miss it for the world! My big girl's first day at school! Amachachi will drive us. And I'll come get you this afternoon too, I promise. We will go eat ice cream and you'll tell me all about your day."

"…Ok."

"Ow, look at you. You're just too cute with that uniform on."

"Mommy, you already took three pictures," Airi complained. "Sometimes you're really too crazy, even for me."

"I'm still your mother, too bad for you."

"Where is Rei? Isn't she late for work?"

"I'm here, I'm here," the woman said while walking into the kitchen. She quickly put her shoes on and smiled when Minako gave her a cup of tea to go. "Thanks."

She gave the idol a quick kiss on the lips and went to fetch her bag. Minako raised an eyebrow when she saw Airi grimacing.

"What?"

"It's so weird when you kiss each other."

"Why?"

"Well, I know it's right, but on TV I never saw two women kiss each other, and…"

Airi reddened.

"And what?" Minako asked with a little smile.

"And I never saw you kiss someone."

"Does it bother you that much?"

"Well… you're my mother."

"And I'll stay your mother forever, you know. My love for you is special, it isn't the same that I have for my friends, or for Artemis, for Berger, and it isn't the same that I have for Reiko. I can love you all, you know, I can love them, love Rei, and still love you as I've loved you from the moment I held you for the first time."

"But…"

"But what, angel?"

"I don't know. I still think it's weird."

"Don't worry. I can guarantee you that when you'll kiss someone, far away in the future when you'll be a grown woman, I'll find it really weird too. And I repeat, it will be far away in the future, ok?"

"Not that far, sorry to tell you, she'll grow up fast," Rei said with an amused smile when she entered the kitchen once more. "And you won't lock her up in her room during her teenage years."

"Reiko," Minako whined, "don't you ruin all my plans!"

"Ah, my keys. I really have to go now." She turned toward Airi and smiled warmly. "Good luck on your first day. Don't worry, and stay away from something called Momoko. See you girls tonight."

She left before any of the Ainos could talk. They exchanged a dumbfounded look.

"How can something be called Momoko?" Airi asked. "And how would she know?"

"I don't know, but trust me, it could be useful."

"You know, sometimes, I think she's weirder than you and I both."

"She is gifted, like we are, only different. Come on, we're going to be as late as Reiko."

"You do know that her name is Rei. Why do you keep calling her like that?" Airi asked her curiously, if not a bit disapprovingly.

Minako offered her a sheepish smile.

"Ah, it annoyed her and I find it cute."

"Cute? But I like Rei better, it's beautiful and it suits her."

"Yeah? You narrowly escaped that name yourself."

Airi froze in the middle of the hallway and frowned, raising her head toward Minako behind her.

"You wanted to give me the same name as her? That would have been weird! And confusing!"

"Well, crazy post-delivery hormones and too many drugs in my veins, you know. And that's our secret, got it?"

Airi rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"How was I supposed to grow up to become a normal little girl with your genes?" she mumbled.

Her mother only laughed.

P

"Sorry, I'm late," Rei sighed when she came to sit near Minako on the couch.

"You look exhausted."

"Long days."

"Work? It never seems simple there."

"It never is. It's complicated."

"But you love it?"

"I like helping. Or… trying to, anyway."

Minako frowned, worried, but kept silent.

"So, Airi?"

"It went well. Well, she didn't make friends and seemed really annoyed and scared by all the kids coming to her to ask her about me, but she didn't totally freaked out. I talked to her teacher and he said she stayed quiet nearly all day. I warned him about the fact that she has zero experience with children, he assured me he'd keep an eye out. He's almost forty, and he treated me almost like any other parent, for now I rather like him."

"I hope Airi will adapt."

"She liked learning new things but she finds it hard to have a precise timetable. Oh, you should have seen her when I left her and when I picked her up, she was gripping her bag and looking around so nervously… She's so shy," Minako smiled affectionately. "I wonder if she answers the kids' questions or keeps silent. She says she talks but I'm not so sure. Ah, and thanks."

"Hmm?"

"For Momoko. The tree. Apparently a few kids challenged her to climb it, but she saw the name engraved in it, and she didn't do it. The kid that did fell into a mud puddle, everybody kept laughing at him. Airi was pretty outraged by it all. She felt the boy's shame and hurt feelings, you know. She is now convinced that all the children that were there are evil trolls."

"Sounds like her," Rei laughed. "Poor boy. He is new too?"

"No, but Airi says he's really thin and has huge glasses. He stammers quite a lot too. He must have hoped that the others would better accept him if he climbed Momoko."

"Brings back memories."

"Oh yeah." Minako sighed. "Airi wanted to go to him, but she was too nervous. He's in her class. I think she was very sad for him."

"You seem happy about that."

"Well, I'm proud that she founds the other children cruel and that she wanted to help that boy. Ah, I should warn you. That premonition of yours impressed her, and she'll surely have a lot of questions."

"She's going to find it weird that all your friends happen to have mysterious gifts."

"Well, it seems that in the near future I'll have to tell her the true story of the five Sailor Senshi. I'm not looking forward to it."

"Really? Why? She adores them!"

"Exactly. And in her eyes, they are those powerful guardians of justice who never can get hurt and that will never stop fighting for the innocents, always on an adventure somewhere. She's persuaded that if they stopped appearing here it's because they're on a mission somewhere in another universe. Imagine her face when she'll learn that her heroines have only gotten older and are living normal and uneventful lives like everybody else?"

"Uneventful? I wouldn't say that. But… I get the idea. Maybe she'll let us get away with it if you tell her she the next heir of planet Venus?"

"My God," Minako sighed dramatically, "she's going to ask questions until she collapses from dehydration!"

"Or the story can wait until she's older."

"Yes, or at least until the end of her endless curiosity phase."

P

The loud shriek made them both smile. They half ran toward the kitchen and laughed upon seeing Minako in the far corner, pale, a hand over her heart. Obviously, she had just opened the cupboard and had met Airi and Rei's new little friend.

Minako glared at them.

"What was that?" she almost growled, her voice grave and low.

"What, mommy?" Airi asked with a sheepish smile, looking just like Minako in doing so. "You mean him?" She pointed to the plastic tarantula that now was on the floor and grinned. "Isn't he the best prankster?"

"Are you alright?" Rei smirked. "You look quite scared, Mina."

"You… _you_…! You're gonna pay for that, _dearly_! Both of you!"

"Then, come on, come and catch us!"

Minako's eyes narrowed, but she didn't move. She couldn't. The toy spider, eerily identical to the true animal, was standing proudly on her path.

"Bye bye!"

When Rei and Airi left her there, Minako shook her head.

"Airi Chiyoko Aino, if you know what's good for you, you'll come back here this instant!" Nothing. She sighed, throwing a wary glance at the spider. Taking a deep breath, she tried to walk toward it but quickly stepped back. "Reiko!" Minako called, her pleading voice now shaking with fear. "Rei, come on, that's _not_ funny!"

"All right, all right!" Rei said, coming in with a smile. "I'm here."

"Put that… that _thing_ away!"

Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, I didn't know it was this bad," she commented, her amusement rained in. "It's just a toy, you know."

"I _know_. Take it and throw it away. Far away."

"You can't even move? Come here."

"I can't, okay?" Minako said, her voice a little harsh. "I _can't_. I'm scared, you scared me, happy?"

"I knew you didn't like spiders, I didn't know you were arachnophobic. There," Rei took the spider and moved back, "it's gone."

"It isn't gone, it's in your hand." When Rei threw her a look, Minako crossed her arms defensively. "It's a fear, it's irrational, ok? I know it's a toy, I know that, I just want it gone."

"I'll put it away."

"Outside."

Rei smiled and turned to leave.

"I'm… I'm serious!" Minako followed her at a distance, warily, in case Rei decided to throw it at her face. "I want it away from me, and from the flat, or I'm moving out!"

"I'll put it in the garbage outside."

"Really?"

Rei paused and looked at her seriously.

"I promise, ok?"

"Ok," Minako said with a tiny voice.

She waited until Rei left the flat and she was sure she wouldn't come back quickly, which would mean she had lied, and went to find Airi. The girl smiled when she saw her mother in her room.

"Hey, mommy! The joke was great, wasn't it?"

"Great," Minako mumbled. "Your idea?"

"Rei doesn't know how to make a joke and she told me about all your pranks and I realized I could help her get her revenge."

"Nice of you."

"Are you angry? Because if you are, it's unfair, you know."

"I'm not angry. I just didn't like it at all. Did you finish your homework?"

"I don't like it."

"Go get it, I'll help you."

They heard the door closed. Minako went to find Rei in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Teaming up with my own baby against me?"

"Well, you didn't leave me a choice. Besides, I think Airi and I are friends again."

"I'm not surprised," the idol commented, "you've always been quite adept at charming Ainos."

"Charming?"

The doubtful look on Rei's face made Minako giggled.

"Reiko, you're still so ignorant, really. But I won't complain, that's one of the things that charmed me years ago, after all."

"If you say so," Rei grinned, coming toward her girlfriend to put her arms around her. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you like that."

"You still have so much to learn, Mars Reiko. Scaring is one of the reasons behind pranks."

"You know what I mean. We would have chosen something other than a spider if we knew how afraid of it you were."

"It's okay. My knight in shining armor came to my help."

"Who would let such a charming princess in distress?" Rei smiled.

Minako beamed before capturing her lips.

"Ew! Stop doing that!" Airi complained behind her. "Mommy, stop! No, Berger, don't look!"

P

Rei hummed quietly, happy to be free that day. She remembered when she had worked in shrines, she used to not mind so much the long hours, and now, she was relieved and happy when week-ends came.

It seemed that her career choices had been in the wrong. She was tired of trying to make a difference only to be stopped by laws, procedures and narrow-minded people. Her sixth sense was of no use when she couldn't explain how she knew some things, when evidences were missing to confirm her 'suppositions'. She hated it, hated feeling so frustrated.

Her afternoon had been spent in the meditation room in Hikawa, but she got no help from the Kami. They stayed oddly silent, offering no indication on her future in the social field and on her relationship. So she had gone home to find as expected Minako and Airi gone to Shacho's and she had decided to sort her things.

Minako, Rei and Airi had visited a few penthouses and houses in the last two weeks, and some were meeting their criteria. But no decision had been taken, and it was hard to talk seriously when both of them were so occupied all the time. They rarely took a moment for themselves. Airi's first week of school had just ended, and it was a lot new things to think about. Paparazzi now waited in the streets near the school and scared Airi every time she went to or left the building. Minako had charged Amachachi and her most trusted bodyguard to go pick her daughter up when she was working. Fortunately, a back door meant especially for famous families allowed Minako or her assistants to stay away from people standing in front of the elite school and most of the press, at least until they spotted the telltale black car leaving the private backyard, but by then Airi and Minako were already hidden behind tinted windows.

That notoriety wasn't helping the shy child to make friends. Kids were either too interested in her status of daughter of Minako or jealous of it. At the end of the week, Airi had nevertheless tried to talk to that boy that everybody was laughing at, Ariake. Airi already was considered a little as an odd girl, according to her teacher. And so, Ariake and Airi seemed to get along for the moment.

Rei put a few of her old clothes into a plastic bag to give them away and was ready to go begin cooking dinner when something caught her eyes. Frowning, she pushed away a few sheets to reveal, put away in the back of her wardrobe, a black used bag.

The Bag.

Her heart clenched when she noticed that it was still full. She took it, despite her conflicting feeling, put it on her bed and slowly opened it. She didn't need to go through it to see what she needed to see. The jacket that was on top had been bought three weeks ago. A few clothes for both Minako and Airi, an envelope full of official papers and precious pictures, a few other things…

Rei shook her head and closed it quickly, angry at herself for feeling this way. She was tired of being unsure, tired of not knowing.

Just tired.

P

"Are you going to tell me about it?" Minako asked quietly as they prepared for bed.

"What?"

"You're clearly troubled about something. Both Airi and I could feel it."

"I'm fine."

Frowning, Minako went to her.

"Rei? What is it?"

"I don't know, you should tell me."

"I don't understand."

"Well, I certainly don't, either. Look, I know you didn't have an easy life. Even if we disagree about a few things, I understand your way of thinking, and to a certain extent, I respect it. It's clear that we both have trust issues, but… I don't know. I'm not sure I can live like that, not anymore."

"Like what?" Minako asked quietly, scared of what was happening.

"Not knowing if you'll suddenly disappear one day once more," Rei explained, her gaze turned toward the sky behind the window, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Not knowing if you're really totally here with me, and for how long."

"I… I won't leave."

"Really?" Rei said somberly. She went to the bed and took the Bag from under it. "Care to explain that to me?"

Minako looked at it and shook her head. Rei sighed.

"You're still ready to flee, aren't you? It's like during all those visits, you never really said what you thought of the houses and flats, and what about the three you cancelled? I'm not sure you're ready to accept that life, I don't know, maybe it's just too soon for you. Six weeks is not enough time, I suppose. I just… I'm not sure I can live like that. I want to be able to close my eyes at night and be sure you'll still be here when I wake up."

"I would never do that," Minako protested, eyes alighted by indignation.

"I know that, deep inside me, but fears are like that, aren't they? Irrational. I… I trust you, but somehow I don't trust that part of you. I know I wouldn't be able to go through all that again, I'm not that strong, and I'm so… tired. Maybe we should take more time. You need to be sure of your choices, to be sure that you want a home with me, a real home, a real life."

"B… but…"

"Think about it."

P

"Are you all right? You seem tired."

"I'm… preoccupied," Minako confessed while accepting the cup of tea that Ami was giving her.

"It's not work, is it?" Ami asked, studying her quietly. "You wouldn't come to see me if you had work troubles. I… am a little surprised that you came to see _me_ if you happen to have Rei troubles."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

"I should leave you two alone. Ami, we could finish this later?" he said as he reached for his laptop.

"No, please, stay," Minako softly said. "I'm sorry to disturb your work."

"It's nothing. But… huh…"

"Your opinion could be useful. You both know Reiko well. I can't talk to Makoto and Motoki about this, you know them, they're adorable but all about gossip and questions, Usagi is… Usagi. And Artemis already gave me his opinion."

Ami and Mamoru looked at each other, both stunned that Minako would come to them for advice or comfort.

"What happened?" Ami asked gently as she sat down. "Things seemed to go well."

"Yeah. But…" Minako hesitated, looked at her hands and stilled them to try and hide her nervousness. "Well, we fought. Yesterday. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I think that Reiko doesn't… trust me."

"She trusts you. There is no doubt about that," Mamoru assured.

"I mean…" Minako sighed. "We're visiting houses and such, you know, and –"

"You're what? Really?"

"What? We're already living together. That's not new. Rei seems to think I'm not… as excited as I should be, or involved in it… But I am! I mean, I'm happy to live with her, but we're already living together, it's just a matter of buying something bigger, after all. I tried to tell her that I'm excited, and happy to be with her, but she wouldn't listen, and she was tired, I didn't want to… upset her."

Ami smiled gently, patiently. Minako wasn't sure she liked it, she felt like a child under her affectionate and all-knowing gaze. Minako loved to know, to lead, to control. But at that moment, she felt naked, vulnerable and ignorant.

"Minako, it's a huge step, you know."

"What?"

"Buying a place," Mamoru answered warmly. "A home."

"But we're already living together. We lived together before that, too."

"A few years ago, you went to live with Rei, in _her_ flat."

"Well, yes, but I was living in hotels, so it was logical."

"Buying a place together is different," Ami offered. "It's an engagement, it's a promise, too."

"Well, yeah, but living together and sharing all we share, that's a lot more important than choosing a place. I mean, I find it fun, to look for it with Reiko, but it's just… a purchase."

"It's not just that. That place, it will be your home, for years, maybe for the rest of your life. Your home, Rei's and Airi's," Mamoru explained. "It's important to choose it together, it must reflect both your personalities. Your tastes, your needs, your envies, and Rei's. The place, the furniture, the decoration, all of it will reflect that. Your two worlds, your two souls. You must choose it with attention, because it _is_ important that you feel comfortable in that home, at ease and safe, right where you should be."

Minako finally nodded and sighed softly.

"Okay, home, got it. But that's just a pretext, I think. I – I mean, maybe I should have been a little more open about my feelings about the places, but… I think… that Rei is scared. Of me. Us. Yesterday, she found a bag. It's the one I always kept ready in case I had to move quickly. It's… it's not new. When I was a teen I did that too, because I moved from one place to another, after my mother's death. And then it was for my career, or to go to the hospitals. And then, there was Dan and… Well, she found it, and it's true I still keep it ready, it's just that… I don't know, it's just a thing I do, it doesn't mean anything."

"It… means that, maybe, somehow, a part of you doesn't feel safe yet," Ami said quietly. "And it's understandable."

Minako couldn't contradict her, nor could she hide her anxiety.

"That doesn't mean I'll suddenly disappear or leave her!"

"I know. We know. And she knows, I'm sure. But Rei… well, you left, one of her childhood friends, Yuuchiro, died suddenly, Keiko… hurt her, and her job is far from being easy."

"I noticed that," Minako said, frowning. "She comes back so tired from work. She's unhappy with it."

"You can feel her emotions, she can't feel yours."

The glare Mamoru found himself at the end of would have shocked him if only he wasn't always so calm.

"She perfectly knows my feelings for her," Minako assured rather coldly, "I'm sure of that."

"That's not what I mean. We all know you love each other. We all knew it even before your relationship took that turn. I'm talking about the future, about… stability."

"Stability…" Minako repeated softly, thoughtful.

She slowly, hesitantly reached for something in her bag, and put a little black box on the table. Mamoru and Ami's eyes widened at the sight. After another hesitation, she opened it, revealing a simple but precious ring, beautiful and elegant.

"It's huh…" Ami couldn't find her words. "Well…"

"You plan to ask her to marry you?" Mamoru asked, looking surprised.

"We can't get married. Not here anyway. But… I like the symbolism, and… I don't know, I've always associated the rings with eternal love. It was a tradition on Venus too. It's a part of me, I guess."

"You're going to give it to her?" Ami asked curiously, a smile on her lips.

"I want her to know that I… can't imagine a future without her, that these last years I missed her terribly. I want her to _know_."

"Did you buy it today?"

Minako reddened a bit.

"I was twenty when I bought it, to tell you the truth."

"You… But…"

This time, the idol grinned, rather sheepishly.

"What? I've always known that I wanted to spend my life with her. There was never a doubt in my heart about that. That ring never left me all these years."

"Ok, well," Mamoru smiled, "give it to her. It would be about time, apparently."

"But is it a good idea? I mean, it's only been a few weeks. And…"

"Don't look at me," Ami warned with an amused smile. "You know Nephrite, he was so nervous he proposed on the way to the restaurant, he didn't even wait for the taxi to stop in front of it. He always says it's because of Motoki and all these warnings he gave him. But I think that giving Rei this ring now would be a good idea."

"Really?"

"Well, you certainly can't keep it hidden in your pockets forever, can you?" Ami smiled. "Really, Minako, Rei needs assurances at this point of her life, she needs to know that things can last, that life can be easier and more luminous. And if it's important for you, then it will be for her."

Silently, the idol nodded and looked pensively at the ring.

"Do you have a plan in mind?" Mamoru asked softly. "Romance is your thing, isn't it?"

Minako sighed, closed the box and held it closely.

"I can't plan any grand gestures, or any romantic settings. Rei would know. That sixth sense of hers can be so annoying. Once, when we were living together six years ago, I had planned this week-end away, but I understood after we left that she had known even before she came back from school that day."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Minako whispered, putting the box back into her bag. "I don't know. I only want her to understand that I… that it means something for me, too. That it means _everything_."

"Then, tell her. Show it to her."

"But…"

"For two women so impulsive, Rei and you sure think too much," Mamoru commented with a smile. "You've always known what you wanted, right? Then, go get it."

P

Rei startled when a hand suddenly came from behind her to put a bouquet of flowers on her mother's grave softly. She turned to look curiously at Minako behind her.

"How did you know where to find me?"

Minako put her hands into her pockets.

"I have my ways."

"Thanks, for the flowers," Rei said gently while she stood up.

"You're welcome."

"I thought that you wanted to go to the movies with Airi."

"We did. Earlier. She's spending the night at the Chiba's."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Rei's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Can… we go for a walk?"

It was a beautiful Sunday's early evening, and Rei nodded with a smile.

"Of course."

The left the cemetery and decided to walk toward the water. So many memories were passing in their minds, silently.

"Can I ask you something?" Rei asked softly after a while.

"Yes."

"Is your mother here? In Tokyo?"

"She was buried in London."

"Oh."

"I went on her grave with Airi once. I don't… really need to go there, you know? And I know she loved London as much as she loved Kyoto and Japan. So, it's fine."

"Did she tell you something about your father?"

Minako smiled, weirdly amused. Sometimes Rei really could not understand how her mind worked.

"Why? Are you suddenly worried about my pedigree?"

"Of course not," the other woman answered with light laugh she could not help. "I was only… wondering."

"She told me he was an English guitarist she had met during a trip. His parents were Japanese, and he was highly handsome, charming and mysterious. Gentle. She used to say that his feelings were as warm and soft as the sun during a bright morning of spring. They dated a week, and then she went back to Japan and never saw him again."

"She didn't tell him that she had you?"

"No," Minako said with a shake of her head and a little smile. "She never knew where he lived, and didn't take his number or address. It was just an affair during a holiday, you know. I know that a lot of children with venusian blood were raised by one parent only because of our tendency to love to change partners repeatedly when we don't find the right one. If you want my opinion on the matter, I think it's only because they taught us from early on that it was the normalcy for us that so many of the heirs never really find stability."

"Really? I mean… these last years, you did meet various partners." When Minako stayed silent suddenly, surprised, Rei elaborated: "I don't mean anything by it, I just mean that maybe there was some truth behind that heritage."

"Adults can have multiple affairs, you know. You don't need to descend from an alien race for that. Of course, our gift of empathy and our instinct push us to try and find valuable partners, to find a good match for sex and companionship. But isn't it what drives everybody to an extent? Yes, we feel that pull more strongly and we are more aware of our needs, but still, I think it's a human trait only amplified by our genes. The only difference is that we know for a fact that soul mates exist, that everyone has a few on this Earth and that if we're lucky, we cross path with one and if we're awfully lucky, it happens to be the best one. That's why they keep searching, seeking that person that will make them feel whole and happy. Some will look for it their whole life, never finding it, like my mother or her cousin."

"You put a lot of thoughts in that."

"Not really," Minako confessed softly. She was kind of embarrassed, Rei found with astonishment. "It's all evident to me. And I've known from early on that I was extra lucky. I mean, it took me a little while to understand it, because we were young when we met, but I knew I would never find anybody like you in this life."

She suddenly stopped walking, and Rei stopped too, completely thrown. Her sixth sense was bugging her, but she didn't understand what it tried to tell her. Minako raised her hazel eyes to look into hers, and Rei felt her body tingling all over.

"I know you're the only one that I'll ever love. I knew that when I fell in love with you when I was a teen, I knew it when we began dating, I knew it even more when we broke up and I know it now. I never tried to find someone to date these last years, because I knew it was useless, and I knew I would never stop loving you or thinking of you."

Rei couldn't help it. She reddened. She had never found herself at the end of such a declaration before. Of course, she knew Minako loved her. But she had never opened her heart to her like that.

Seeming to panic a little because of her own words, Minako put nervously her hands into her pockets. Her eyes widened and she looked away, like she often did when she felt embarrassed.

"Mina –"

"I want a house."

"Huh, what?"

"A house. Not a flat. I don't want to have to do with noisy neighbors. Berger needs a garden, Airi loves swings. I want a fireplace, a music room, a piano, a huge dressing. A swimming pool would be fun too. I… I want a house."

"O – Ok. A house. Great."

"The bag, it doesn't mean anything. I'm just used to pack. But it'll pass. And… and I'm angry at you, that you could think so little of me. I know that you're tired, and I really think we need to talk about that job of yours, but still..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to feel… I'm just…"

She couldn't find the words. Not yet. Minako kept talking, her words fast, tumbling out of her mouth awkwardly.

"I hated the first house. I loved the third one. I know it's big and it's typically a propriety a star or millionaire would buy, but it's isolated by the walls and vegetation, it's not really far from the city, it has all the criteria we both wanted, Airi loves it too."

"I like that one too."

"And I want to buy it."

Rei had trouble following Minako when she was nervous like that. She nodded dumbly.

"Well, it was what we –"

"I mean I want to buy it alone, in both our names. As a present, for you, for _us_."

"I'm not as well off as you, I couldn't buy even half of it, but with my mother's inheritance I can –"

"Please, I didn't mean it like that, it's not about money. It's about… a new life. I… it's important to me."

Rei hesitated but nodded, not liking it at all, but understanding something in Minako's words that pushed her to agree.

"Ok," she answered finally, her voice thick with emotions. "But you know, I know that what is happening is important to you, and I know you're preoccupied with your career lately, and with Airi going to school. I know it's hard for you, to adjust, especially with all those damn journalists scrutinizing you all the time. I'm just… It's not the place that's important anyway, but I want us to feel well in it. Home is where you are, Minako. I just want you to be happy."

The tender kiss surprised her, but she was glad for it. It cooled down the tension between them, their nervousness, and left them giddy with joy and relief.

"I am," Minako breathed against her lips. "I am, when I'm with you."

"I love you."

"Then, would you accept this?"

Rei frowned, not understanding, and felt more than saw Minako reaching for something in her pocket. She recognized that happy and slightly anxious gleam in her eyes, that little smile on her lips. Her sixth sense screamed at her, but before she could identify the vision, Minako opened a little jewelry box, revealing a beautiful, discreet but elegant ring and offering it to her.

Rei suddenly couldn't remember how to breathe properly. Her hands began lightly trembling.

"I… know we can't get married," Minako said with a little smile, her hands were shaking a little too, Rei noticed. "But, the meaning in this ring is the same. With it, I swear love, fidelity, security and eternity to you. I entrust to you my heart, my soul, my daughter, my dog, my past, my present, my future, all my life." She took the ring from the box, held it gently cradled inside of her palm. "It's yours. I… know that you can't wear it, but I'd like you to have it." She tried to laugh. "I'm getting tired of having it in my handbag, you know? It's been six years, after all."

"You…" Rei blushed a little when she understood the meaning of it. "Oh, Mina."

"Did I tell you that I love it when you redden like that because of little me?"

"Shut up."

Minako grinned.

"Is that a yes?"

"Of course, it is. Yes."

As soon as Minako gave it to her, Rei slipped it on her ring finger to the idol's surprise, and then took her in her arms to kiss her passionately. When they separated, both breathless, Rei kissed Minako's cheek and smiled when she noticed the tears in her eyes.

"I'll keep it on my finger, always. And when my friends or people will ask me why it's there, I'll tell them it means that my heart will always belong to the woman I love and I'm living with."

"But…"

"I'm not in the closet anymore and I couldn't care less about what the world is going to think about our love. As long as I have you, my friends and my family, I'm happy."

Minako laughed gleefully and hugged her. They decided to go eat in a nice restaurant to celebrate their future home and their new engagement, and began walking slowly toward their destination, their hands brushing against each other.

"You know, Aino, as far as proposals go, yours was lame considering you're a venusian princess,_ and_ Sailor Venus," Rei teased with a happy smile.

Minako eyed her haughtily.

"You're just frustrated that you couldn't sense it coming, _Mars_. I'll have you know that if you weren't such a party pooper, I would have put Mamoru's and Motoki's proposals to shame."

"Not Neph's?"

Minako laughed.

"He's sadly not in competition."

"Poor guy. But he definitively is in your category."

"You're really pushing it, you know?"

"I know, I know," Rei confessed with a grin. "What're you going to do about it?"

Minako's own grin became more intimate, her eyes shined suddenly with desire and promises.

"You'll see… _after_ dinner."

Rei found herself coursing her idea to go to the restaurant. But she consoled herself, thinking that they still had a lot to talk about to organize their future _together_, and that it would be great to spend that quiet and happy time just the two of them.

And after all, they would need the energy, Rei thought as she let her thumb touch her ring on her finger. A secret grin appeared on her face.

Something told her the night was going to be long…

P

The end.


End file.
